One Winter
by Random Jelly Beans
Summary: Claire loves Winter, and all the things it comes with. But... This Winter is different than the others. Follow along this Winter from beginning to end, from Claire's point of view. Rated T to be safe. ClairexGray
1. The First

**This is my first real fanfiction, so... Please be nice! Tell me how I can improve, and what you liked, please! And REVIEW! Oh well, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Harvest Moon. I wish I did, though.**

* * *

I opened my eyes and rolled over in my bed. I was wishing I could go back to sleep. I chanced a glance at my alarm clock that failed to wake me up; it was six in the morning. I wasn't surprised. I always seemed to get up that early after I came to my farm here in Mineral Town three seasons ago. Wait…

Today was Winter first!

I remembered the date and shot out of bed, then immediately regretted doing so as I wobbled around, lightheaded. After I regained my balance, I skipped over to the door of my little home. I had been working on expanding it to fit my needs recently, so it now had a kitchen and a bathroom. It also had a fireplace. I loved fires, but I hadn't been able to actually use my new hearth since I'd gotten it in the Summer because it would be far too warm.

I flung the door open and was frozen in my spot for a moment.

Everything was white.

I studied over my now-thriving farm; the barn was covered in a thin blanket of white as well as the chicken coop. My field had been completely cleared by the end of Autumn, so it now looked like I vast white ocean, covered an inch deep in snow.

_Snow_.

Oh, I loved the snow. It was so cold and soft, but at the same time hard and painful. Like during snowball fights. It was like clay; how you could shape it into just about anything you wanted. And the way it drifted down from the highest points of the sky… It was always so perfect to me. It was one of the reasons Winter was my favorite season.

I took off running towards my field, ready to dive onto the wonderful powdery blanket, but then quickly thought against it.

If I walk all over my field, it'll tear up the layer of snow! I'll wait 'til it actually starts snowing, and then have my fun…

I slowly walked towards my barn to take care of my two cows, Daisy and Betsy, and my sheep, Bob, wishing it would hurry up and start snowing already.

* * *

After I had milked and brushed the cows, I walked over to Bob at his feed bin.

"Hey there, Bobby, what's up? Did you know it snowed last night?" I asked as I started brushing his wool. I started stroking his wool with one hand as I sheared him with another. He was so white and fluffy, almost like snow…

"Baaaaa!" Bob cried, snapping me out of my trance as I almost sheared my finger off.

"Whoa, thanks Bobby… You saved my finger!" I chuckled as I patted him on his head, and threw his wool in the shopping bin. I opened the barn door to exit, desperately hoping to see snow.

I didn't.

I sighed and went down to the chicken coop. Inside it was warm and smelled like, well, chicken. But not in a good way. I poured some feed into five of the bins; one for each of my chickens. They were all asleep still, so I just shipped their eggs and left.

No snow.

I sighed once again and ran up to my house. I decided I'd go into town, since all my work was done. I opened my little closet and pulled out a dark blue fleece jacket that matched my eyes perfectly, or so I was told. I brushed my hair and peeked at the calendar.

Today's the first, then Gray's birthday's the sixth… I have to remember to get him something. I wonder if he's having a party?

I was good friends with Gray, but nothing more_. Unfortunately…_ Wait, what? No, no, no, I only liked Gray as a friend. _Stupid brain, for thinking that_. I sighed, again, and pulled my jacket on, checking out the window to see if it was snowing.

Of course, it wasn't.

It had only been like ten minutes. I grabbed my rucksack and left my house, staring up at the gray sky as I walked. I felt the cold, wet grass beneath me change to frozen stone, and I knew I was on the path headed towards the town. I stopped momentarily, thinking.

Where should I go? I could visit Ann at the Inn… Or I could go see Mary at the Library, but she'd probably shoo me out like she always does with me. Ugh. I could go to the Church. Nah, Carter would bug me about hanging out with Cliff again, even though I already got him that job at the winery. What about-

My thoughts were interrupted when I crashed into something. Or rather, **something** crashed into **me**. It felt like I was mauled over by a brick wall. I fell over onto the freezing ground, landing on my butt.

"Owww…" I rubbed my thigh. It would probably be bruised up pretty bad later.

"Sorry, Claire. I didn't see you…"

I looked up to see an embarrassed Gray holding his hand out to help me up, his hat covering most of his face. I gladly took his hand and pulled myself off the icy pathway.

"It's fine, I guess. I was just spacing out…" I said, probably blushing. I couldn't really tell because my face was numb with cold. Gray chuckled.

"You space out a lot, huh?" He said as he shoved his mitten-clad hands into his pockets. I giggled.

"I suppose so. Say, are you going to have a party? I mean, for your birthday? It is on the sixth, right?" I said as we started walking towards the Inn. I suppose I would see Ann, after all.

"Uh, yeah… My birthday is the sixth, but I dunno about a party. I'm only friends with a few people, you being one of them," He said as he lowered the brim of his hat with his left hand, "What about you?"

"What about me?" I asked, confused at his question. He seemed confused at my confusion, which just confused me more.

"I mean, your birthday's the eighth, isn't it? Aren't you having a party?"

My eyes widened in shock. _I forgot my own birthday! What the hell is wrong with me?_ I turned towards Gray and we stopped on the path. I just got the best idea. Ever.

"Why don't we have a party on the seventh, for both our birthdays? I'm turning twenty-one, and you're turning twenty-three, right? Oh! We could have it at the Inn! This is going to be awesome." I beamed, and he just looked baffled.

_He looks so cute confused_.

Wait… What? Oh, whatever. _I'm just too excited right now to think straight. I think._

"Uh… Um… What?" Gray asked as he scratched his head. Or his hat, really.

"You. Me. Big birthday party. Inn. Seventh. Cool?" I said slowly. He glared at me, and I burst into a giggle fit. _This cold weather, man. It always gets to me; messes with my head._

Gray hesitated. He didn't seem too crazy about it. "I guess-"

"Great!" I exclaimed, "Meet Ann and me at the Inn at seven, and then we can work out the details. See ya there! Yay!" I squealed, overrun with anticipation. I hugged him around his neck quickly, acting off adrenaline, and then darted off back towards my farm, giggling all the way.

I glanced back at him very hurriedly, and saw him standing there limply, slack-jawed. He was just as caught off guard by my actions as I was. I giggled even more, pleased with the result of my trip to town.

_This is going to be fun._


	2. The Sixth

**Wow, thanks guys! It is my first REAL fanfic, but I have written one other that crashed and burned after two chapters. Let's hope this one doesn't do that! Here's chapter two!**

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I opened my eyes slowly, wishing I had stayed asleep. But the realization of today's date got me up and out of bed faster than I thought possible. I stared at my calendar.

Winter sixth.

It was Gray's twenty-third birthday today. And tomorrow would be our 'Ultimately-huge-big-birthday-bash-extravaganza', as Ann called it. I chuckled as I remembered the evening Gray, Ann, and I planned the party.

* * *

_I was sitting down at one of the Inn's many tables, waiting for Ann to finish cleaning up the counter and for Gray to come downstairs._

What if he doesn't come? What if I totally freaked him out earlier and he never wants to see me again? Oh no! That probably-

_I was interrupted from my thoughts when I heard a bench creak in front of me. I looked up and saw Gray sitting down across from me. I let out a small sigh of relief._

I'm an idiot for even thinking he'd flake.

_Ann skipped over a moment later and sat down next to Gray. I felt an awful pang in the pit of my stomach, and it made me want to rip Ann's braid off her happy little head. But I didn't, and quickly dismissed the sudden, strange urge._

"_So?" Ann asked as she rested her chin in her hands and stared at me from across the table._

**Next to Gray.**

Shut up! I don't care!

**Yeah, you do.**

No, I don't.

**Yeah, you do. Why else would you want to scalp Ann?**

I did have a point there. Wait, What?! I'm arguing with myself. I've officially gone insane.

"_So…?" Ann repeated, her expression unchanging. Gray was looking at me like I was crazy. _Which I was_, I reminded myself._

"_So," I started, snapping my attention fully into the task at hand, "How's this party going to work?"_

_Gray grunted. "I thought you knew. It was your idea, after all."_

_I glared at him and he smirked. Ann looked back and forth at us, probably thinking something inappropriate. She was_ always_ thinking something inappropriate. I finally spoke up after I long silence._

"_Well, I do need some input on your part. It's half your party, too," I said to Gray and he rolled his eyes. I continued, "So, who do you want to invite?"_

"_Um… I don't care." He said and hid his face with his hat. Again. Perhaps he didn't want to share who his friends were?_

"_Oh, come on! It's okay if you tell me. It's not supposed to be embarrassing. Goddess, Gray, you are so stubborn sometimes!" I said, nearly shouting towards the end. _

I have no idea why I just said that. WHY did I just SAY that?! He probably thinks I'm a psycho now! And WHY THE HELL DO I CARE WHAT HE THINKS?

_Gray looked shocked but managed to answer, snapping me out of my mental screaming once again._

"_Jeez, Claire. Okay, I want to invite Cliff, Gramps, and… Mary. Okay?"_

_I smiled at him, about to thank him for answering me. But wait-_ did he say MARY?

"_Mary? Okay… But, she's always kind of had it out to get me, or something. I mean, I just walk into the library, and she 'accidentally' chucks a book at my head. You were there. You saw." I said, dead serious. She really did have it out to get me, but only when Gray was around. Weird, I know. I guess the smell of all those books was messing with her head._

Yeah, right.

"_I know. But you, her, and Cliff are my only friends, really. So, can we still invite her?" Gray asked, and I suddenly felt a stitch of guilt in my gut. I felt like I had just stolen a lollipop from a little kid and threw it on the ground then stomped on it._

"_Oh of course, of course! I never said we couldn't! I wanted Mary to come, anyways," I lied. Ann gave me a questioning look, as did Gray. I just smiled as genuinely as I could, hoping they'd buy it. Luckily, they did, and we moved on to the next matter of business._

I studied the seventh day of Winter on my calendar. I had doodled light blue flowers and hearts on the day's little box, and in big capital letters across the top, it read, 'BIRTHDAY PARTY AT INN 6PM'. I smiled and brushed my hair.

After I finished, I changed out of my pajamas and into a light gray turtleneck and dark jeans. My overalls and light plaid shirt were too cold to wear outside in this weather, even though it still hadn't snowed since the first day, nearly a week ago. I sighed as I thought this and headed outside to take care of my animals.

* * *

I hurried inside my house nearly two hours later, after I had finished my farm work.

_Damn chickens_, I thought, _they always try to run away!_

I had just gotten back from trying to recapture five very fast and determined chickens. After I opened the door, the all ran outside, like they were waiting for me to come just to run away.

I plopped down onto my couch and flipped the TV on to the news.

"Today is Winter sixth. The holiday season is approaching quickly!"

I gasped. _I forgot it was Gray's birthday after all that commotion!_

I sprinted over to my refrigerator and pulled out some corn I had frozen back in Summer, just for this occasion. I thawed it and glanced at the clock. 11:00am. I shoved the defrosted corn into the oven and watched it bake, looking back at the clock far too often. By the time it was done and you could smell the delicious aroma all over my house, it was almost noon.

"Crap!" I shouted, realizing I forgot a card. I ran over to the counter and grabbed a pink piece of cardstock and wrote:

_Gray-_

_Happy birthday! I'm so glad I'm here to share it with you. I hope your wish comes true!_

_Love, Claire_

I reread it at least ten times before I decided to leave the "Love" part at the end. _It was just on little word, right? Right._

I set the card on the plate with the corn, and remembered that I always added salt to this particular dish. It made it perfect. I searched the counter frantically for the salt and pepper, but to no avail.

"The fridge!" I remembered. I started keeping my seasonings in there, for some reason.

I ran over to my refrigerator and flung the door open, causing an egg and a bottle of milk to come crashing to the floor.

"Dammit," I muttered under my breath, staring at the runny, goopy mess at my feet, "I don't have time for this!"

It was true. I had to hurry and make Gray something fast, before he left for the library at one. I couldn't go to the library with him; odds were Mary would've tried to murder me again.

I knelt down and picked up the eggshell and broken glass, and quickly tossed it in the garbage. Then I turned on my heels and darted towards the paper towels on the other side of the kitchen. I didn't make it very far; I slipped on the egg and milk mixture.

I heard someone knock on my door just before my head collided with the tile and I blacked out.

* * *

**Oooo, what now? Who was it? And sorry. Next chapter is when I tell ya'll what happens at the party. Um, all I can say is this: sit tight for fluff. I guess.**


	3. The Seventh, Day

**Sorry peoples, but… I couldn't seem to fit the party in this chapter. It's a thousand words longer than my other two, already. But I hope you enjoy it nonetheless! And thank you so much for the reviews! They make me want to keep writing more and more. Oh well, on with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or it's characters.**

* * *

I felt an awful aching in my head. Mainly in the back, but it felt like the pain was radiating all around the inside. I wanted to open my eyes, I really did.

But I couldn't.

My eyelids were too heavy. I suppose I was semi-conscious now, because I could hear someone above me. At least I _think _they were above me. I tried to make out what they were saying; what their voice sounded like. I was starting to get annoyed at my not-completely-conscious self. I _desperately_ wanted to hear what this person was saying and who they were.

After much focusing, I could understand the voice. It was definitely male. I sounded curt, but gentle. _Who is this…?_

"Claire… Claire, are you okay? Wake up, dammit!"

I giggled, despite the fact I was still not completely attentive of anything. It was Gray. I knew his stupid short temper. I opened my eyes and was staring back up at the blacksmith, just as I had predicted. His dark bluish gray eyes were locked with mine. It made my heart skip a beat in my chest.

His eyes didn't look annoyed, or angry. They looked, well, concerned. Worried.

_Worried about me._

A moment after I opened my eyes, making him aware of my consciousness, his expression changed significantly. Now, instead of concern, he looked relieved. Thankful. Loving.

Loving? What? No. I mean, yes, he did look at me like that, but- Oh man. Whatever. I don't even care what I think anymore.

"Claire! Are you okay? What happened?!" He shouted, and covered his eyes with his hat again.

_Damn hat. I hate that thing. Why can't he look at me?_

"Goddess, Gray. Don't yell. My head hurts enough as it is!" I shouted, or tried to shout, back. I couldn't seem to raise my voice much without hurting my head anymore.

"…Sorry. But seriously, what happened?" He asked again in a much lower tone, his blue hat still coving the top half of his face.

I scrunched up my face, deep in thought. What _did_ happen? _That's right, I slipped on the milk and egg… In my kitchen. Where am I now?!_

I sat up and looked around. I was on my bed. I looked over towards the kitchen area, and noticed the milk and egg mixture was cleaned up. Apparently Gray noticed my confusion at this, and explained what happened on his part.

"I came over earlier and knocked, but you didn't answer. I heard the TV on, so I knew you were home… Then I heard a crash, and… I came inside to see what was up. I found you unconscious on your kitchen floor in a mess of nasty milk. The oven was on, too. It freaked the hell out of me at first," He frowned, remembering the incident, "So I went over and tried to wake you up. You didn't respond. I put you on your bed, cleaned up the kitchen, and then you woke up."

"Um… Okay... Well, thanks so much for helping me, Gray! And happy birthday! Where did I put your present…?" I asked myself, getting up and looking around the room. Gray chuckled. His laughter made me want to cry, it was so beautiful.

Wow, that sounded so cheesy. Oh well, it's true, I suppose. I just have to keep myself from ACTUALLY crying when he laughs, or I'll be labeled the biggest freak in town…

"You mean the baked corn?" He asked. I turned towards him, my eyes gleaming.

"Yes! How did-"

"I found it. Thanks. I really, really love baked corn." He said, blushing, and pulled his hat down _again._

"Sure thing," I said, trying to ignore his weird UMA hat, "So, how is your birthday going?"

He smirked. Was this good? I didn't know.

"It was good. Better than a lot of other birthdays I've had. Actually, this was one of the best." He smiled. I felt my stomach flutter.

"Really? That's great! What are you going to do next?" I asked, and then wished I hadn't. I sounded too excited. I inwardly smacked my forehead.

I'm so, so stupid. I seem like I care way too much. Ugh.

"Well, I was going to head back to the Inn and get some sleep."

_Sleep?_

"What?" I asked dumbly. He smiled at me again, causing my stomach to flutter again. It was nice.

"Sleep. The thing you're supposed to be doing at one in the morning. You know?" He said. I gasped and looked over at my clock. It was one thirteen in the morning.

"Oh my gosh! It's so late! I'm so sorry for keeping you here so long! I ruined your birthday! Oh no, no, no…" I said shaking my head with my eyes closed. I heard him laughing quietly from near my door.

"It's fine. I'm… Just glad you're all right. Don't go dying because of some baked corn, okay? I don't want a reason to hate the stuff." He said as he opened the door. I nodded and he left.

I went back over to my bed. My head didn't really hurt anymore, but my stomach was all in a knot. But, not really in a bad way. I got under my covers and quickly fell asleep, even though I was overly excited about what the morning would bring.

* * *

I creaked my eyes open, only to be nearly blinded with yellow sunlight pouring in my window. I yawned and turned over in my bed to get a good look at my clock. My eyes widened.

"Eleven o'clock?!" I shouted as I darted out of bed and brushed my hair. I was met with an unpleasant trouble: my hair had dried milk and egg in it.

_Everywhere_.

"Dammit dammit dammit! Ugh!" I screamed. So much for starting today off well.

I ran into my bathroom and turned on the shower. It took me nearly half an hour to get all of the dairy product out of my hair. The entire time I was bathing, I couldn't help but worry.

Oh no. Oh no. I'm late. I was supposed to help set up for the party. I'm late, late, late. And I have to take care of my animals! I don't have time for that… I can ask a few of the sprites to help me out, I suppose. Well, that's one problem solved.

I turned off the water and grabbed a towel. I wrapped it around my soaking wet body and ran out of the bathroom, leaving a trail of puddles from my hair all along my floor. I could clean it up later. I ran over to my dresser and pulled the top drawer open, and pulled out some undergarments. I set them on my bed and ran over to my closet.

What am I going to wear to the party? I have to set it out, so I can run back here to change fast later. Um…

I scanned my closet for anything suitable for a formal birthday party. That's what Gray and I had decided to have, with Ann's persuasion. I noticed the sapphire blue dress I had worn to my High School graduation. It was just longer than knee-length, and had spaghetti straps. It was utterly simple; it looked just like a dark blue silk sundress. I remembered my graduation, how it fit my figure perfectly.

_Will it fit me now?_

I fretfully pulled down the dress from the depths of my closet, and set it on the bed.

It better fit me now. If it doesn't, I'll have to wear my overalls.

Quickly, I went back over to my dresser and pulled out my usual attire: faded overalls and a red plaid shirt. I pulled them on over my dripping wet hair and slipped my shoes on as I watched the clock.

_1:18pm_

"Too late to visit Gray, I s'pose. I'll see him at the party." I said as I walked out the door into a cold, but sunny, day.

_Why hasn't it snowed yet?_

I tried to ignore the weather as I walked down the path, shoving my hands in my pockets. I looked around at the leafless trees. Just a week ago they were covered in a thick blanket of wonderful snow. Now the snow had melted off the trees and fences, but was still coating the ground ever so slightly. I sighed. This wasn't very 'wintery' weather. I looked up and realized I was already at the entrance to the Inn.

When I opened the door, Ann was nowhere to be seen. I looked around the deserted floor. No one. Not even Doug, the owner, was here. All the tables and chairs were gone, too. I walked over behind the counter and knocked on the door to the back room.

"Ann! Are you there? It's Claire! We're supposed to be setting up!" I shouted as I tapped on the thick wooden door. I heard a crash from the other side, then footsteps approaching the door. It flew open, revealing a tall and out of breath redhead.

"Claire! Where have you been?! We've been trying to decorate-"

"You have? But… The Inn is completely empty! The tables are even gone!" I argued. She sighed.

"No. Well, it is empty, but just so we could have a blank canvas when decorating," She said, then noticed my sopping wet hair, "What's up with your hair? Did you fall in the pond on the mountain?" She asked, faking concern. I rolled my eyes.

"Sure, sure. Let's hurry though! We have to get this place ready for a party in less than five hours!" I exclaimed as I picked up a few rolls of streamers. Ann nodded and grabbed a roll of tape.

* * *

I set the large white bowl I had been holding onto one of the tables, next to the red punch, and filled it with potato chips.

"Done!" I called out to Ann, who was throwing small strips of streamer into a garbage bag. She smiled at me.

"Great! And not a moment too soon! It's almost five thirty, Claire! You should head home and change!" She called, and I nodded.

I turned towards the door and put my hand on the knob, but then glanced back at the first floor of the Inn. Ann and I did a really good job, especially considering it was only the two of us and we finished in four hours.

The tables lined the walls, and had dark green tablecloths draped over them. A few of them had benches, so people could sit and eat if they wanted to. One of the tables on the right wall had refreshments on it, in different sizes of clean white bowls.

The bar didn't have a tablecloth; it was too long. So Ann and I twirled white and green streamers together and taped them onto the front of the bar. We blew up quite a few balloons, at least three-dozen, and let the float up to the ceiling. They were green, white, and blue. I laughed silently when I studied the wall behind the bar. Ann had tried to make and hang a poster that read:

_**Happy Birthday Claire and Gray!**_

But instead, she ended up with one that read:

**_happy bithday claie and gay_ **

After she hung it up, I noticed her mistakes. She got so mad we had to take it down. I let her make a new one, and she did a great job. It was perfect.

_Well, not perfect, she's missing the capitals and the exclamation point, but it's okay._

I left the Inn, feeling much better than I had when I woke up this morning. I whistled as I skipped back over to my farm. After I opened the door to my house and spied the beautiful blue dress on my bed, my heart sank.

_ Damn! I forgot to see if it fits!_

I exhaled and picked the dress up. Stripping out of my overalls and shirt, I unzipped the side of the dress and pulled on. It slid on perfectly, and didn't look tight anywhere. It almost looked loose.

_Whoa. Didn't see this one coming. It fits! And… I've lost weight since High School!_

I chuckled and zipped the side up, then twirled in front of the mirror. I felt great, now. I pranced over to my bathroom and grabbed my hairbrush to start brushing through my -now dry- locks of blonde hair. It went down all the way to the center of my back, and I was very proud of it. My bangs weren't the best choice, but I loved them all the same.

I didn't have the heart to put my hair up, so I just pulled part of it back and stuck a sapphire clip in it, holding it there.

_Hair: Done_

I left my bathroom and went over to my dresser. On top of it I kept a small jewelry box. I opened it up and took out a pair of; you guessed it, sapphire stud earrings. I put them on and rummaged around, trying to find the necklace that matched them. I had gotten it, along with the earrings, for graduation from my parents. Aha! I pulled the necklace out of the box and put it on. It was just a small round blue gem on a silver cord.

_Jewelry: Done_

I was just about to leave when I realized something.

_I'm not wearing any shoes!_

I knew that the only shoes I brought with me were my farming shoes- Simple brown sneakers. And they were dirty. Really, _really_ dirty. I sighed. This was a setback.

_I could go barefoot. But the path is freezing. Ugh. What to do… Oh!_

I shot over to my bed and pulled my dark blue slippers out from under the bed. They looked exactly like blue ballet flats, but they were warmer. I smiled and slipped them on, then flicked the lights off and left for the Inn.

* * *

**So? Was it as bad as I think it is? I ended up adding in so many little things, I didn't have room (or time) for the party... Next time, for sure!**


	4. The Seventh, Night

**Chapter four! It turned out way, way longer than I thought it would, and I didn't even fit in everything I wanted to. It was way fun to write, but I think it may have very juvenile problems... Not something a twenty-some-year-old would end up doing. I guess Claire just has a very thirteen-year-old mind!**

**Thank you all so much for reviewing! I love ya for it! Well, here's the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of it's characters.**

* * *

I walked down the pathway towards the Inn in the darkness, all alone

I walked down the pathway towards the Inn in the darkness, all alone. I didn't mind, really. It's nice to be alone sometimes. But most of the time, especially during the cold days of Winter, you want to be with friends or family. Or anyone.

I wrapped my arms around myself; it was very cold out this evening, probably pushing freezing. I looked up at the sky. There were a few clouds here and there, but overall it was clear. You could see so many stars in the winter. It was almost as though the cold temperature made the tiny white dots stand out more against the black nighttime sky.

That's one of the things I like about Winter, as well: the beautiful nights.

I glanced at my watch and quickened my pace. I was already ten minutes late. I sighed, causing a small white cloud to appear in front of my face.

_Hey, it's cold enough to see my breath._

I smiled as I approached the front door of the Inn. I reached out and opened the door quickly and shuffled inside to the warmth. Inside, I turned around and was greeted by a dozen grinning faces.

"Um, hi guys. What's up?" I asked, getting mildly creeped out by the happy stares. Ann walked up to me and linked her arm with mine, that stupid smile still plastered on her face.

"Hey Claire! Where were you? You're fifteen minutes late!" She exclaimed, finally losing the weird grin. I laughed nervously and scratched the back of my neck, embarrassed.

"Well, I forgot I didn't really have any shoes to wear, so I had to figure out what to do. I guess it took longer than I thought?" I said, hoping she'd buy it. I didn't want her to know I was late just because I take _forever_ to get ready.

"Okay then. Let's get this party started, now that Claire's here!" She shouted towards the crowd, and was answered with many loud murmurs of agreement.

I was scanning the crowd over to see who had come. I saw Karen dancing with Rick, who we didn't want to invite at first but decided it was only fair, and I saw Elli talking excitedly to the Doctor, who looked like he was having trouble keeping up.

Over at the food table I saw Popuri trying to carry on a conversation with Cliff, who looked uncomfortable. I chuckled at Cliff's expression when Popuri suddenly started crying. I didn't even want to know what she had been talking about. My gaze traveled over to the bar, where I saw Saibara sitting with a drink, speaking to Doug. I smiled at how well the party was already going.

My eyes wondered over to one of the benches, and I noticed Gray sitting by himself. He was staring at something in his hands… It looked like a small box. I was about to go over to him when I realized Ann was still holding onto my arm.

"Um, Ann?" I asked her, and she snapped her attention towards me. It looked like she was staring at the snack table where Cliff and Popuri were.

"What is it? Do you like the party, Claire? It's like totally awesome, right?" She said, beaming. I smiled.

"Like, totally, Ann! Thanks! Oh, do you want to go over to the snack table? You look sort of hungry," I lied. She didn't look hungry. I just needed to give her a reason to go over and talk to Cliff. She blinked.

"Um, okay! I'll, uh, catch you later! Presents and cake at eight! Don't forget!" She called over her shoulder as she walked over towards the refreshments. I smirked.

_Now, to talk to Gray…_

I glanced back over at the bench where Gray was sitting, and did not like what I saw. Mary was walking over to Gray, with a smug little grin stuck on her pale face.

_Oh no! If she's around him, I won't even be able to say 'hello' without being torn to pieces by a vicious librarian! I have to act fast!_

I quickly noticed Mary was wearing heels, so she wasn't walking as fast as I could. I felt my ninja side taking over me as I took off across the dance floor, weaving in between a few people and ducking under flailing limbs. I managed to get over to Gray's bench just seconds before Mary would've gotten there.

"Hey," I said, out of breath. Gray looked up at me, startled.

"Hey, Claire. You okay…?" He asked curiously as he watched me pant. I quickly recovered and flashed him a cheesy smile. He chuckled.

"I'm fine. What about you? You're just sitting here, all alone." I said, and he sighed.

"Yeah, well… I didn't really think of anything else that I could do, so…" He shrugged. I shook my head.

"You wouldn't be able to start a conversation with someone if your life depended on it. Oh, Gray…" I said, smirking. He rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. At least you finally decided to come. I needed some company," He stated, pulling his hat down, "I'm glad you're here." He finished. I could feel my cheeks heat up just a little.

_Sit down next to him!_

My mind was screaming at me. I did a small nod, agreeing with myself. But when I looked at the spot next to him on the bench that was free just a few seconds ago, I was surprised.

There sat a smirking little black-haired librarian, wearing a white long-sleeved blouse with a long, flowy light blue skirt. Her hair was still in it's usual braid, and her ugly silver-framed glasses still sat onto of her arrogant little nose.

Gray didn't seem to notice her until she leaned on him. His head shot up and he met her face to face. He looked like he was going to fall over, he was so startled. Mary smiled at him.

_Oh Goddess, is she seriously going to try and flirt with him?_

"Hey, _Gray_," She started, putting emphasis on Gray's name. _Yep, she's trying to flirt with him. Trying._ Gray blinked.

"Um, hi Mary." He said, looking uncomfortable with the way she was leaning on him. Mary giggled. Goddess, she looked so stupid.

"How do you like the party so far? You didn't look to happy before I came over here," She said, and I had to stifle a giggle. Gray _still_ didn't look very happy. Mary continued, "So, do you want to dance?"

I felt my stomach turn over. _Was Gray going to dance with her? That witch? She's tried to kill be, for Goddess' sake! He can't honestly-_

"Uh… Okay…?" Gray said. Mary giggled again and yanked him up, then dragged him onto the dance floor. I was shocked.

_No way. No way. No way. He __**couldn't**__ have just given in! Did her creepy flirting WORK?!_

I plopped down angrily on the bench where Gray had just fallen victim to the demon librarian. I watched the two of them go out onto the middle of the now crowded floor, and start to dance. Gray was very uncomfortable and seemed hesitant, but I didn't notice.

I was too angry.

I could feel my stomach come up into my chest and it felt like it crashed into my heart as I watched Mary grab Gray hands. It was a fast song, so at least they weren't slow dancing.

And then a slow song came on.

_No, no, no. Maybe I could go cut in? No… Mary wouldn't let me. She'd probably make a big scene and tell me off or something like that, embarrassing both of us. She loves drama. I bet-_

My thoughts were interrupted by a loud slapping sound. I shot my head up and the music stopped. I saw a fuming Mary standing in the center of the dance floor next to a confused Gray, who was holding his cheek, wincing in pain.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Mary shouted, causing the crowd who was staring at the two of them back up a few feet in surprise. Gray looked even more confused.

"What? All I said was-" He started, but Mary silenced him with her hand.

"Shut up. I can't believe you!" She screamed and took of running -or shuffling, really- out the Inn doors, slamming the door behind her. Everyone turned towards poor Gray, expecting an explanation.

He was frozen with all eyes on him. He lowered his hat, flushing red with embarrassment. _It looks like Gray's the one Mary managed to humiliate today._

I decided to disregard the fact that he ignored me for Mary earlier, and went to his rescue. I pushed through the crowd, over towards Gray, who was still frozen in his spot. When I finally got into the center I stood next to the blacksmith and looked up at him expectantly.

"What the hell, Gray?!" I shouted, waving my hands in the air. He looked at me in utter confusion.

"Wh-what?!" He managed to spit out. I winked at him, hoping he'd catch on. I had a plan.

"You heard me! What the hell is your problem?! Why were you dancing with _her_?!" I screamed, faking rage as best as I could as I pointed towards the door Mary had just exited. Gray was seriously bewildered at my attitude. _He doesn't get my plan…_

"What do you mean?! I-I was-" He seemed to be getting angry. Well, if he didn't get the plan originally, I guess being genuinely angry was the next best thing. I cut him off.

"I know perfectly well what you were doing, you TRAITOR!" I shouted at his face, hoping he'd get what I was trying to do. Of course he didn't. When you provoke Gray, his brain shuts down to most all reasoning. I knew this from experience. We may be good friends, but we've definitely had our share of arguments.

Gray couldn't seem to think of anything to say, so I continued, "Yeah, I saw you! You didn't think I would! Well, YOU WERE WRONG! You know what?! You're coming with ME, NOW. COME ON!" I shouted and grabbed his arm, dragging him up the stairs.

_Please don't fight back, please don't fight back, pl-_ _Crap._

At the top of the stairs, he finally found his voice and ripped his arm out of my grasp.

"What the hell are you TALKING about, Claire?!" He shouted at me. I rolled my eyes. _So close._

"YOU KNOW DAMN WELL WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!" I shouted and grabbed the arm of his black coat again, trying to get him to follow me out of the party guest's views. He wouldn't budge, and of course I wasn't strong enough to move him. He was twice my size.

"NO, I DON'T!" He shouted and shredded his arm out of my grip. Again. I had to get him to move before this got any worse.

_Think, Claire… Dammit! THINK! How do I get him to move! If I don't hurry up and explain this to him, he'll hate my guts forever, AND no one will believe me when I tell them it was just an act. Goddess, I have to do something…_

I surveyed my position. We were at the top of the stairs, so any sudden lunges or anything like that could send us falling over the railing. That means no running into him, trying to knock him over. Not that I'd be able to do that, anyways. I noticed his stance. It looked like he was standing firm, so I couldn't get him to move with my minimal strength. If he was surprised it would be easy to move him, though… I looked over and noticed Cliff and Ann cutting towards the crowd to come up, most likely to 'break us up'.

I couldn't let them do that. If I did, then Cliff would take Gray to a different room and Ann would take me somewhere else, and I wouldn't be able to tell Gray it was an act. I had to think fast.

_Really_ fast.

_Claire, come on, think. You have ten seconds to get Gray four feet across a hall, and through a door. If I could surprise him he'd be moveable- That's it!_

I knew what I had to do, but now I had to figure out how. This was going to be difficult. And awkward. And embarrassing. _Oh well. _I thought as I saw Ann and Cliff at the bottom of the stairs. I quickly turned towards Gray and looked up at him with urgent eyes. He noticed this and looked curious for the split second he had before I pulled him down to my level and kissed him. Seriously.

_This is strictly business. Now I have to get him to move across the hall before Ann and Cliff- Whoa. Hold on. H-He's kissing me back…! CRAP!_

I peeled myself off him and shoved him across the hall, into the extra room, and slammed the door shut. I turned and saw Gray on the floor panting. I must've pushed him too hard. Either that, or I underestimated how disoriented a guy gets when you plant a wet one on them.

I put my hands on my hips and stared down at him, annoyed. I wanted to shout at him for not getting my 'genius' plan, but I knew that wouldn't end well. I let out an irritated sigh.

"Goddess, Gray…" I muttered, shaking my head in a sort of disbelief. He got up of the floor.

"Claire…?! Wh…What…?" He couldn't seem to think of anything to say. It was sort of cute, how stupid he sounded. I stared him right in the eye.

"Listen. I knew how difficult it would be for you to talk your way out of that little incident with Mary. I saw how embarrassed you looked. I figured I'd go and help you out-" I tried to explain, but he cut me off. Typical Gray.

"You thought that screaming nonsense at me would help with the situation?!" He shouted. I shushed him; I didn't want anyone outside to hear and think we were in a huge fight that could get violent in a matter of seconds.

"Shhh! Listen! I had a plan! You were supposed to let me lug you upstairs to 'give you a talking to about staying loyal' or something along the lines of that crap." I muttered, but he _still_ didn't fully understand. I sometimes used to wonder what he was using his head for, because it definitely didn't house a brain.

"What would that do to help anything? And what was WITH that crap about being a traitor for dancing with Mary?" He asked, raising his voice only slightly. I rolled my eyes.

"You were _supposed_ to play along, that you were with me and left for her. Then after I got you up here, we'd wait five minutes then go downstairs and tell everyone it was a skit or something like that, and Mary was in on it too. Duh." I explained. Gray finally looked like he understood, so I continued, "But since you _didn't_ play along, and made it damn near _impossible_ to move you, and Ann and Cliff were coming to 'break the fight up', _you_ just made _me_ resort to _drastic measures_! Ugh!" I stomped my foot. He looked shocked.

_It doesn't look like he's going to say anything. What am I supposed to say? This is awkward. …Oh my Goddess, we kissed. And I just brought it up. No WONDER he doesn't know what to say! I'm so stupid!_

"…Sorry." He mumbled, snapping me out of my thoughts AGAIN. I looked over at him, surprised. And, Goddess, what I saw made me go into a giggle fit that could've made me pass out from lack of oxygen. And it wasn't even that funny.

His whole head was the brightest shade of red possible.

And I just thought it was the most hilarious thing ever. I fell over onto the hardwood, cracking up. He looked at me like I was crazy, and he had good reason to. He flushed ever more, how that was possible I do not know, and that just made me laugh harder. Eventually, his face went back to it's normal shade, and I stopped cackling like an idiot.

"Ha… Oh my gosh… S-Sorry…" I said, taking deep breaths. He chuckled.

There it was. The beautiful sound that came so close to bringing tears to my eyes. My eyes probably got glassy and I smiled hugely. He stopped laughing, though, and spoke.

"It's fine, I guess. Should we go back down and explain ourselves? Hopefully no one's left, thinking the party's over." He said, reaching out his hand to help me up. I gladly took it, and he pulled me up with such power it scared me.

_My Goddess, he could throw someone three feet and into a lake with that strength!_

We opened the door and immediately heard chattering downstairs. The lights had been undimmed, and it looked like everyone except Mary and Saibara were still there. We started down the stairs, side-by-side, and that got everyone's attention. I stopped in the middle of the staircase and smiled awkwardly.

"Hey guys! Um, you remember before? With Mary and Gray, and then with me and Gray?" I asked. Everyone just stared up at me expectantly, so I continued, "Yeah, well, uh… How did you like our skit?" I smiled. I saw Gray roll his eyes out of the corner of mine.

_What? How was he expecting me to say it?_

Ann spoke up first. "You two were _acting_? It didn't look like it to me, especially up there when you two-"

"It was an act, dammit!" Gray shouted suddenly, cutting Ann off. His face was pink.

"Oooo, how cute, Gray is embarrassed!" I heard Popuri say in a singsong, taunting voice that caused Gray to turn a slightly darker shade of pink. He lowered his hat.

"Jeez, Popuri. That was a little harsh." I said. That pink haired girl… She was pissing me off.

"What? Aren't you embarrassed, too, Claire? I mean, you just mauled Gray in the middle of a 'skit' and made out with him in front of all the young adults of the town and Saibara." Karen declared, swaying in her spot. The party had only been going for an hour and she was already drunk.

I felt my face heat up so hot, it almost _hurt_. I tried searching my mind for the best response, but… Nothing. My poor head. It was aching with humiliation, much like my stomach was. Except my stomach wasn't pounding, it was twisting around and around, making me want to throw up.

_This is all Mary's fault. She has always wanted to humiliate me in public. But this time she didn't even try._

Now I felt like Gray probably did earlier this evening on the dance floor. I was glued to my spot as well.

"W-we weren't making out, Karen. It was part of the… Uh, skit." Gray said, breaking the awful silence. He offered me a weak smile. "So, can we continue with the party, please, Ann?" He asked quietly so only Ann, who was the closest to the stair could hear. She nodded vigorously.

"Cool! Everyone, let's PARTY!" She shouted and ran over to the stereo system behind the counter. She flipped it on and dimmed down the lights again. Everyone glanced around and shrugged, then started dancing. I let out a sigh of relief.

_Thank you thank you thank you Gray!_

I looked over to where he had been standing, about to thank Gray out loud for saving me. But he wasn't there. He was walking down the rest of the stairs, and I didn't waste a second following him. At the bottom of the stairs I caught up to him, got in front of him, and threw my arms around his shoulders.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" I squealed. He saved my butt. He wasn't going to get away without one of my 'Huge Hugs of Death', as Ann and Elli had come to call them.

"Uh… No problem, Claire. It was nothing…" He said as I released him. I gasped.

"Um, NO! It was something! You saved my butt! I'm forever in your debt," I said, bowing. He lowered his at down and hid his face from me again. I decided to let it go this time and continued, "So?" I asked. He looked puzzled.

"So, what?" He asked back. I rolled my eyes.

"So, what do you want me to do for you? I said I was indebted to you, remember. So what'll it be?" I asked, and looked away from me. I smirked, realizing that he had probably just thought something inappropriate. He looked back over my way after a few seconds of thinking.

"How about a dance?" He asked. I wasn't expecting that. He would always tell me how he hated dancing and wasn't even good at it. I nodded.

"Sure!" I grabbed his hand and pulled him after me.

We walked out onto the extremely crowded floor and started to move to the quick beat. I was having tons of fun. I didn't see why Gray thought he was a bad dancer; he was actually pretty good.

I looked around to see what everyone was doing around us. Popuri was dancing with Ann, and I noticed Cliff watching them glumly. Elli was trying to teach Doctor how to dance, and he didn't seem very into it. Karen was dragging Rick onto the dance floor, and I immediately felt bad for him, having to dance with an intoxicated Karen.

The music suddenly stopped, and I heard Karen shout complains out from the other side of the Inn. I looked over to the bar, unconscious of the fact that I was still holding Gray's hand. Gray didn't seem to notice, either.

Ann stood behind the bar and shouted to get everyone's attention, "Hey! It's eight o' clock! Time for cake and presents! We have to remember this is a _birthday_ party, right?" She exclaimed.

Everyone shuffled over to two tables that had been pushed together to make one big area everyone could sit at. Popuri, Ann, and Cliff sat on one side of the table, Doctor, Elli, Rick, and Karen sat on the other side, and Gray and I sat at one end. The Inn's tables were actually very large, so no one, not even Gray and me, was squished.

Doug came out of the kitchen with a two-layer chocolate cake with chocolate frosting all over it. The words 'Happy Birthday Claire and Gray' were piped on in white icing. I smiled as I stared at the cake that was set in front of Gray and me, not noticing that everyone had started singing and Doug had lit two white candles: one for me and one for Gray.

_"Happy birthday to you!_

_Happy birthday to you!_

_Happy birthday, dear Claire and Gray,_

_Happy birthday to you!"_

Everyone sang. It snapped me out of my daze, that's for sure. Karen was singing so loudly and badly it hurt my ears, and Popuri and Elli were singing too highly. It was funny, though. I'd remember this for a long time to come.

"Make a wish, you guys, and blow out your candles!" I heard someone say. It sounded like Popuri. I glanced at Gray who had just blown out his candle.

_Crap. What do I wish for…?_

I looked around. To my left was a window, right behind Gray, who was watching me and waiting for me to blow out the candle. _Of course!_

_I wish…_

I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them and blew out my candle. Everyone cheered. Gray nudged me.

"What did you wish for?" He asked. I smiled and shook my head.

"I can't tell! If I do, it won't come true! …What did you wish for?" I asked, giggling. He rolled his eyes, but couldn't stop a smile from coming onto his face.

"It's a secret."

* * *

**What did you think? Did you see what I meant by juvenile? I guess that's what happens when you get a thirteen-year-old writing in the point of view of a twenty-one-year-old, huh? Review, please!**


	5. The Twelfth

**Okay, I finished the next chapter! I have school starting on the 19th, so I'll try and get as many chapters up as I can by then. Oh! And sometimes I randomly write oneshots, so check back if you want to. AND I'm planning my next story, but I need a pairing for it. Go to my profile and vote, please! **

**To all my reviewers- You've made me so happy! I'd respond to them all individually, but I don't have much time now. Sorry! But once again, I say: THANK YOU SO MUCH! I LOVE YOU ALL! XD, I get so excited when I get an email saying I got a new review.  
**

**NOW, You can go ahead and read it. Sorry if it's bad; I wrote most of it when I was half-asleep and listening to the country station. lol. I'm not too happy with how it came out, so please tell me what YOU think in a review!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

* * *

After everyone gorged themselves on the birthday cake –which was very good, I might add-, Gray and I got to open our presents

After everyone gorged themselves on the birthday cake –which was very good, I might add-, Gray and I got to open our presents. Popuri shoved a box poorly wrapped in pink and orange polka dot paper with an orange bow on top into my hands.

"Open mine first! Please, please, please!" She jumped up and down as she pleaded with me. I smiled and grabbed her arm, preventing her from bouncing around.

"Sure, sure Popuri. I'll open it first." I said as I pulled up the tape, careful to keep the paper intact. I never even saved the paper afterwards, the only reason I was so cautious when unwrapping presents was because it was a sort of challenge, I suppose.

I opened the now exposed white box to find a hot pink turtleneck sweater with silver sequins along the neck and shoulders… I swear I'd seen my grandmother wear this exact same thing to Christmas dinner when I was little.

"Wow… Thanks, Popuri… It's, uh, beautiful…" I said. I realized I didn't sound convincing in the least, so I immediately plastered a cheesy smile on my face and nodded to Popuri. She smiled, apparently buying it.

"I knew you'd love it! It was too big for me, so I figured it'd probably fit you!" She beamed. Gray tried stifled a chuckle, and I glared at him. "Oh! And Gray's present…" Popuri added as she handed Gray a purple bag erupting with baby blue tissue paper. He smiled nervously and pulled the tissue out of the small bag.

I bit my lip to keep from bursting out with laughter when he pulled out a golden necklace with a pink heart charm dangling in the center. He looked completely at a loss for words, so Popuri spoke up.

"It's one of my old gold necklaces I don't wear! I figured, since you're like a blacksmith, you could melt it down or something and use the gold! Pretty awesome, huh?" She said, totally ecstatic. Gray still couldn't seem to think of anything to say, so he just nodded.

"So… What's next?" I asked.

I had just opened up the last of the presents. Rick gave me a bag of chicken feed, free of charge, and he got Gray a case of eggs. Karen got both of us the same thing- a bottle of wine. Ann gave me a pair of jeans and a red tank top, something I'd been wanting ever since the summertime when I practically got heat stork in my flannel and overalls. She and Elli both pitched in to get Gray a cheap wig from the city, because they were certain he was bald underneath that cap of his.

I laughed his red face when he opened it.

Elli got me a pair of red stud earrings from the city. They were gorgeous, and went with the tank top from Ann perfectly. Doctor gave Gray and me a Bodigizer each, along with a small lecture on the importance of not overworking ourselves. Cliff gave me a necklace he made out of flowers from the mountain, which I thought was the sweetest thing so I gave him a hug, and he flushed brightly. Gray seemed to scowl at him after that, much to my amusement.

_Ha, I made him jealous!_

Cliff gave Gray a bunch of copper ore, and that made Gray a little nicer towards him. Mary didn't bring a present for me, of course, but she left one for Gray. It was a book titled, 'The Caves and the Library'. I'd never heard of it before, and everyone was convinced Mary wrote it. Saibara didn't get Gray anything, but he gave me a certificate for a free tool upgrade at his shop.

As I tucked the certificate into one of the other present's bags, I surveyed all my gifts._ I won't be able to carry them all home tonight_…

"Hey, Ann, can I leave my gifts here tonight and get them tomorrow? I'd have a tough time carrying all these things home when I have to worry about tearing this stupid dress. I can't even bend over completely! It's way too short." I said, motioning towards my old dress for emphasis. Ann smirked.

"Too short? Please, Claire, there's no such thing as too short." She said, and I rolled my eyes.

"So can I keep them here? Please?"

"Sure. Just remember to come back for all these _wonderful_ presents!" She laughed and turned to help clean up the bar. I looked up at the clock on the wall. It was already 10:15. I gasped and went over to Ann to thank her for everything.

"I'm so sorry I can't help clean up, but it's way late and I have to work tomorrow!" I explained. Ann laughed.

"You don't need to clean up your own party! It was bad enough you had to set it up. Go ahead, get some rest. And happy birthday!" She smiled as she carried a tray full of dirty cups behind the bar to the sink. I sighed.

"Thank you so much, Ann! I'll see you tomorrow morning! Bye!" I called and waved as I approached the door. As I turned the knob, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I jumped and turned to se… Gray. I sighed.

"Goddess, Gray. You nearly gave me a heart attack!" I shouted. He looked down at his shoes.

"Sorry. It's late, and there are wild dogs out. Let me walk you home."

I stared at his face. When I didn't answer right away, he looked up from the floor and our eyes locked. He turned to the side blushing, and I laughed.

"Okay. Thanks," I said and walked out the door, followed by Gray. We walked in an easy silence until we reached my house. We faced each other and, unfortunately, found ourselves in an awkward silence. He was the one to talk first, after at least two minutes of quiet.

"So… I, um, forgot to give you your present earlier…" He said. I raised an eyebrow.

"Present? You got me something?" I asked. I wasn't surprised he'd get me something, I was more curious at what he got me.

"Here," He said as he held out a small brown box, about the size of his hand, to me. I studied it: it was just a brown box. No wrapping, no bow, no card. I picked it off his hand, and he turned to leave without giving me a chance to open it.

"H-Hey! Where are you going?" I called after him into the darkness. I could just make out his figure walking towards the exit of my farm.

"The Inn. It's late," He stopped and I think he turned around in the direction of me, "And… Thanks for coming up with the idea for the party. It was fun… All of it."

And then he left.

I furrowed my brow. _All of it? He thought the WHOLE night was fun? Even being humiliated- OH MY GODDESS! Did he mean the kiss?! No, no… I'll bet he forgot about that. Right, he forgot about his best friend kissing him, Claire. Goddess I'm so stupid._

I walked inside, dismissing the thought and set the box on my table as I changed into some white and blue striped pajamas. Pulled the barrette out of my hair and took my necklace off, then grabbed the box and plopped down on my bed. I pulled the lid off and peered inside at the little pack's contents.

I pulled out a beautiful silver brooch with a sapphire set in the center. I held it up into the light and gaped at it. The light seemed to enter the deep blue gem and bounce all around the inside, illuminating the sapphire. The silver surrounding the glowing jewel was equally as elegant. It shined in the light, and I could see my blurry reflection in it.

I grinned and set it on my bedside table and picked its container up off my bed. I found a small note in the bottom of the shallow box and pulled it out. I read it to myself:

_Hey Claire,_

_Thanks for everything. You were the first one to let me vent to about Gramps, and you always know how to make me smile. I hope this brooch I made for you makes you smile. You look good in a smile._

_From,_

_Gray_

I squinted as I reread the word 'from'. It looked like something underneath it was whited out…

_I wonder what he wrote… Did he put 'love'? That's what I wrote on his card, but…_

I shook my head, dismissing the thought as I set the card on the table next to the brooch. I let out a long, content sigh and looked down at my slippers before I flicked off the lights. They were completely ruined.

* * *

I poured my basketful of ores into my shipping bin, keeping a few for Gray and Saibara. It was already the twelfth; five days since the party. I wore the brooch Gray gave me everyday. It hadn't snowed yet, but my field was still covered an inch or so in powder. Every time I looked at it, I wanted to just run over there and roll around on it.

But I didn't. Not yet, anyways.

I had been making lots and lots of extra money by going over the frozen lake and into a mine that could only be accessed during the winter and mining gems that weren't found in the normal mine.

"Big Sister! Hi!"

I turned towards the entrance of my farm and saw little May running through the frozen grass over to me. She was wearing the cutest light pink jacket that had white buttons and was long, so it looked like a dress.

"May! Don't run!"

I saw Barley walking in after his granddaughter. I smiled and knelt down, hugging May when she got over to me.

"Hey, May! What's up?" I asked, smiling. I loved May; she was so sweet and, well, lovable. You'd have to have no heart to not love someone like her.

"Nothin' much, Big Sister. What're you doing?" She asked, looking into the basket that had the few ores I was going to give to Gray, "Why didn't you put these ones in the big bin too?"

I smiled and picked her up. "Because I was going to give them to Gray later." I answered. …What? It's impossible to lie to such an adorable face.

"Why?"

I should've known she'd ask that. _Why _did_ I want to give him my ores? The precious metals _I_ worked so hard to mine?_

"I guess I just want him to be happy, May," I said, giving the best answer I could. She smiled and Barley came up to us.

"Claire, I'm sorry if we interrupted anything. May here just kept begging to visit you. She really likes you, you know," He said, and I smiled.

"I'm glad! I actually just finished today's work, so May can stay here and we can hang out this afternoon, if that's okay with you," I offered. It was always fun playing with May, even when Stu joined in. It reminded me of when I was a kid, and honestly, I just enjoyed acting like a kid.

"Sure, I think that'd be okay. Can I come pick her up around five? It's noon now, by the way." Barley said. I nodded, smiling.

"Of course! That sounds perfect. We'll see you then, right May?" I faced the black-haired girl who had been silently listening to the conversation.

"Yes!" She exclaimed, beaming. Barley chuckled.

"Okay, okay. I'll see you then May! Be good!" He waved and left. May turned to the snow-covered field and gasped.

"Oh my gosh! Big Sister! Can we please play in the snow? Please?" She asked. I stared at her big eyes, and my mind couldn't seem to get my mouth to say 'no'.

"…Okay. I guess," I said and laughed when she jumped with joy, her boots crunching the snow beneath her.

"Oh! Can we invite Stu over so we can have a snowball fight? Pretty please, Big Sister?" She smiled. Once again, I couldn't say no.

"I suppose. Let's go call Elli and see if she can bring him over, 'kay?" I asked. She nodded and we ran into my house.

Elli arrived with Stu ten minutes later. He was in at least four layers it looked like, and he had a puffy forest green jacket on that made his arms stick out slightly. You could barely see his face; it was hidden under a dark orange scarf and a deep red fleece hat. May started a game by poking Stu's jacket while Elli explained to me that he couldn't take anything but that jacket off, or he might catch cold. I nodded, and she left.

"Wow!" Stu exclaimed when he saw my field, "Can we make a fort and have a snowball war?"

I chuckled, "It might be a little hard to make a fort, but we ca definitely have a snowball fight,"

Stu nodded and went to run through the field, but May grabbed his jacket, "Wait! We can't have a three-person snowball fight! We need another person so we can play teams," She paused and thought for a moment before she shot her head up in realization, "Big Sister! Don't you want to take the metal to Mr. Gray?"

I gasped, "May! Thank you for reminding me! Guys, before we play let's go to the Blacksmith's so I can deliver something, okay?"

Stu sighed and May smiled brightly, "Yay! Stu, let's go see Mr. Gray and Mr. Saibara!"

Stu's face brightened a little at the mention of Gray, and mine probably did as well before. He nodded and we quickly walked over to the Blacksmith's Shop. I glanced at my watch as we walked in; it was 12:55 in the afternoon, and Gray would be leaving soon.

"Hello Claire, May, Stu," Saibara greeted, and Gray glanced our way.

"Hello Saibara. Hey Gray," I said, and handed Saibara a copper ore and a silver ore over the desk. May walked up to the counter and smiled.

"Hi, Mr. Saibara!" She said, and Saibara smiled. They started a little conversation, so I excused myself over to where Gray was cleaning up.

"Hi Gray," I said, and he turned towards me. He blushed a little when he noticed I was wearing my new brooch again, and I giggled. "I brought something for you!"

I rummaged through my rucksack while he stood there… Staring at me? _Hmph_. I finally located the gold ore and handed it to him, and he snapped out of whatever trance-like state he was in. He took the small piece of rock and put it in his pocket.

"Th-thanks, Claire. I-" He started to say something, but was cut off by May's little voice.

"Mr. Gray! Big Sister was going to let us have a snowball fight, but we need another person for teams to be even," She explained, then looked up at him with a pleading expression, "Would you pretty please play with us? Pleeeease?"

So THAT'S why she wanted to come here! She's so devious… And convincing. I wonder if Gray can say no to that face? If he can, it would mean he has no heart.

"…Fine."

My head shot over in Gray's direction. _So, he has a heart after all. _

We all walked back to my farm after saying goodbye to Saibara. Stu begged Gray to let him ride on his shoulders, but, Stu having not nearly as cute a face as May, Gray said no. Stu pouted for a moment, and I being the wonderful lady I am, offered to carry him instead. He happily agreed, and May looked like she was a little dismayed, so I ended up carrying both of them.

May was on my shoulders and Stu was on my back. My Goddess, they were heavy. But they were having a wonderful time, and the walk back to my farm was only a few minutes, so I endured the pain. I think Gray felt a little guilty for making me carry both of them. Well, I hoped he did at least.

We finally gat to my farm and a bent down and let the extra weight off my back and shoulders.

"Thank you very much for the ride, Big Sister!" May said, hugging me. I laughed.

"No problem, May." I lied. _My back is going to make it so I can't mine for a few days…_

Stu came over and thanked me as well, "Yeah, thanks Big Sis! It was fun!" He smiled. I nodded, and Gray came over.

"So… If you don't need me for anything, I'll-" Stu ran over to him and grabbed his leg, interrupting him.

"No! You can't leave yet, Big Brother! We still have to have a Snowball War!" He pleaded. Gray sighed. I guess Stu could convince him just as well as May could.

"Okay, so how do we do this?" He asked, and I furrowed my brow. _He's never had a snowball fight? Of course he has! Even I have!_

I bent down and scooped up some snow, then loosely packed it into a ball. I aimed it right at Gray's chest. "Like this!" I shouted and threw the snowball.

It hit his jacket right where I meant for it to, and he stumbled over and landed on his bottom. Stu and May both started laughing hysterically, and so did I. I stopped for a moment, though.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to knock you over," I said, pulling him up with my mitten-clad hand. He smirked. "Wha-?"

As soon as he was standing up, he fired a snowball right at my chest. And me being only a yard away from him, he hit me dead on. I fell over from the impact and landed on my back, but instead of shouting or crying or something like that, I started laughing. Really, really laughing. May came over to me and looked at me questioningly.

"Big Sister, are… You okay?" She asked. I nodded and sat up, still giggling. She smiled, "Good, now we can beat those mean ol' boys!"

I was shocked. May was a brutal, rough, frightening child when she wanted to be. And during this fight, she wanted to win. My Goddess, she almost made poor Stu cry and she managed to knock Gray over once. He was as stunned as I was.

After an hour of hard battle, the boys finally surrendered. May smiled sweetly.

"Yay! Big Sister! We won, we won! We beat the boys!" She laughed. _Wow, she must never have beaten Stu before_, I thought.

"Yeah!" I cheered, though I wasn't nearly as excited as May was. Stu frowned.

"May! You never played like that before!" He protested. May giggled.

"That's because I never had any reason," She explained, "Mr. Gray knocked Big Sister over before, so I wanted to beat you meanies!"

I chuckled. She wanted _revenge_! Little May, the town's angel, wanted _revenge_ for me!

"Aw! Thank you May! You're so sweet!" I hugged her, and helped her brush the snow off her pink jacket. Stu's green jacket was waterproof, and apparently so was Gray's.

But I was stuck in cold, wet overalls and my damp light flannel shirt.

"Hey guys," I said, getting everyone's attention, "Why don't you get Mr. Gray to help you build a snowman? I'll be right back." I said and turned to go into my house and change, ignoring Gray's glare.

I stripped myself out of the freezing farmer's attire, and changed into a light blue knit sweater. It was soft and warm, and had a white argyle pattern across the chest. It was my favorite sweater. I pulled on a pair of dark jeans and slipped my shoes on again. I put my white mittens on, because my red ones I was wearing were soaked. I pulled on a white hat and ran outside.

I saw that May and Stu were working on shaping the bottom of the figure, and Gray was leaning against my barn's door. I walked over to him and mimicked his pose: arms crossed, back against the wall, foot back on the wall, head down.

"Why aren't you helping them?" I asked. He jumped when I spoke. I suppose he didn't know I was there.

"…I don't know. I never built snowmen when I was a kid, so… I guess I'd mess it up," He explained. I rolled my eyes, grabbing his arm to pull him over to the small construction site.

"Come on," I said, "You can't mess it up. Well, you could, but only if you, like, kick it or something." I said, giggling. He snorted.

"I wasn't planning on kicking it, don't worry." He said. I smiled and bent down to help may roll the now large snowball through the field. Gray helped Stu find some suitable rocks for the man's face.

May and I got the body almost completely shaped by the time the boys came back with the stones. We all worked in a somewhat awkward silence, until I decided to say something.

"So, May, how're the cows?" I asked nervously. Gray stifled a chuckle at my random question and I shot him a quick glare before May answered.

"They're fine, but yesterday they got scared when Miss Popuri and Mr. Rick were yelling at each other next door," She paused for a moment, deep in thought, "Big Sister? What's a 'puberty ring'?" She asked, genuinely curious. I was confused.

_What the hell is a puberty ring?_

I looked over at Gray, to see if he knew what on earth this girl was talking about. He had wide eyes, and looked just as confused as me. He also looked… Embarrassed?

When I didn't answer, May tried to explain her question, "You see, yesterday Mr. Rick got Mrs. Lillia to make Miss Popuri go to Mr. Carter and get a puberty ring, and Miss Popuri was yelling at Mr. Rick like she didn't want one. So, what is a puberty ring? Is it bad?"

I laughed, "No, May. I think you mean Rick had Popuri get a _Purity_ Ring from Pastor Carter, not a _puberty_ ring." May was still curious, though.

"What's a Purity Ring for?"

My eyes widened ever so slightly. _What am I supposed to tell her? Damn it, Claire. You set yourself up for this._

"Um, well, when you get a Purity Ring, it means you'll, uh, stay pure," I explained. I hoped she wouldn't push the subject anymore. She seemed like she was done with the topic, but then Stu spoke up.

"What do you mean 'pure'?" He asked me, but then looked at Gray with curiosity overflowing his dark eyes. Gray looked at me for an answer. _Why can't he just come up with something? Goddess, he's not being very reliable. So much for being a man, Gray._

I rolled my eyes and answered for the hat-wearing wuss, "Well, to be pure means to not be clean, right? So I suppose Rick doesn't want Popuri to be dirty, don't you think?" I asked, hoping to convince him. He nodded with enthusiasm.

"Oh, yeah! That must be it! Huh, May?" He asked the girl, who was busy pressing pebbles into the snowman's head.

"Oh, yes. That sounds right. Thank you for explaining, Big Sister," She said, not taking her eyes off her work. She was very focused.

"Sure thing, guys. Hey, Gray, what do you think pure means?" I asked him. I couldn't resist seeing how he'd answer. He just stared at me blankly for several moments before he spoke.

"Uh… I guess what you said."

I sighed and rolled my eyes. _Is he totally out of it today, or does he contribute absolutely nothing dependable in tight situations on a regular basis? _

"It's done!" May called out, shattering my thoughts. I looked at the figure we had all worked together to build. It was a little lop-sided, but its body was proportioned just right thanks to May and me. It had a goofy smile stuck on his face made out of little black small rocks, and it had a few larger stones lined up its body in the front for buttons on its invisible coat. We had draped one of my green scarves around its neck, and put an old blue hat on its head.

"He's missing something!" Stu called out. May glared at him, which she never usually did.

"It's a girl, silly!" She said, and Stu rolled his eyes.

"Nuh-uh, it's a boy!" He argued, crossing his arms. May sighed and turned to me.

"Tel him it's a girl snowperson!" She said and pointed to Stu. I smiled weakly.

"May, what makes it a girl? There isn't anything on it that would distinguish a gender," I explained calmly. She sighed, but then brightened up.

"Oh! Big Sister, could I please, please, please borrow your pin? The snowperson needs it so it can be a girl, and she'd look really pretty with your pin on!" The said, pointing at the sapphire brooch Gray gave me. I frowned.

If I agree, the brooch might rust or something in the snow! I can't let that happen! I have to say no…

"Um, May," I started, avoiding her dark, earnest eyes, "I can't." I said firmly, and she looked crushed. Apparently Stu and Gray became interested in our little conversation, because Stu was standing next to May and Gray was trying to nonchalantly eavesdrop; I could tell.

"But… Why?" She asked, once again looking up at me with those eyes. I tried to think of a good enough reason, but her gaze seemed to stop my brain from working. I looked down at the sparkling brooch, hoping I could think again when I wasn't looking at the little girl.

"Because… Because I really love this pin, and if we let the snowperson have it, it might get ruined," I stated, still staring at the striking accessory, "And I really, really don't want to ruin it, May. We'll have to find something else to give the snowperson." I finished. May seemed to understand. _Wow, she's a really smart kid_, I thought, _No wonder she's so tricky-_

"Do you really love it because Mr. Gray gave it to you?"

I swear, after she said that I turned the color of a tomato. I stared intently at my feet and the crisp grass underneath them, and didn't answer right away because… Frankly, I didn't know what I was supposed to say. And I knew if I tried to lie, I'd stutter and it'd be obvious I wasn't telling the truth. I sighed, not daring to look up at anyone's expressions.

I bet May had a little knowing smirk on her adorable face, and Stu was seriously confused. And I knew Gray was blushing as bad as I was. He was probably waiting for my answer. All of them probably were.

"W-well," I started, stuttering like I thought I would, "I-I don't know, May… Um, maybe I can find the snowperson a better brooch, 'k-kay?" I suggested, and then darted towards my house.

I'm sure I heard May say something like, "She totally loves you, Mr. Gray," But I didn't think about it.

_May is too damn smart for her own good. …I hope my kids'll be like that._

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**So... The thing about the Purity ring came from something that happened to me at this camp I was volunteering at. If you really want to know the whole story there, you can ask me to tell you in a REVIEW! And I hope you didn't mind this chapter's awfulness. Nothing really happened that was all that important, so... Yeah.**

**Review, please**


	6. The Thirteenth

**Thank you reviewers! I love you all! :3 Short chapter, but I hope it's better than nothing. I'm annoying myself with ALL THIS GrayxClaire stuff in EVERY chapter. I think in a couple chapters, Claire can't even see Gray, or else it ends up consuming the rest of my time TT**

**Review and tell me if I have too much Gray. I'd like to know my readers' opinions :D**

**AND I still have that poll in my profile! Please vote on who the main pairing in my next fic should be! I'm BEGGING you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon**

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I felt an awful panging in my head, like someone was hitting my brain with a sledgehammer. I buried my head under my pillow, trying to muffle the pounding. I finally rolled out of bed after a series of chills I received from my freezing sheets. My head suddenly felt light, and my vision blurred so I grabbed the edge of my table to steady myself.

"Ohhhh…" I moaned, rubbing my throbbing head. I felt awful. My nose was running and stuffy all at the same time, and my body was aching. Then there were those stupid chills that made me shiver every few moments.

I dragged myself over to my mirror and looked at my hideous reflection. My blonde hair was going in all directions, probably because I'd been tossing around in my bed the night before. I sighed as another chill ran through my body. I turned to change into my overalls, when I noticed the clock.

"Oh my goddess! It's 11:30?!" I shouted, and then realized how raw my throat felt. I decided to ditch the overalls as I grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants and a burgundy knit turtleneck to throw on.

I brushed my hair through quickly and left a few stubborn knots, as I lacked the energy to care whether or not I looked homeless at the moment. I slipped on my old shoes and headed for the door, grabbing a baggy plum sweatshirt and pulling it over my head as I exited my shack.

Outside, I could see the snow-lady that May, Stu, Gray, and I had made the day before. She was wearing an old pink hat of mine, and a gaudy coral necklace my grandmother had given me years ago, when I was too little to know what "fashion" meant. My field was no longer a sea of white powder, either; it was like a torn up cotton blanket. I sighed.

_It still hasn't snowed, and winter's nearly half-over_, I thought as I waved to the Harvest Sprites who were peering at me through my barn's window.

I'd been hiring the elf-like creatures everyday since the party nearly a week ago. They were always so cheerful and willing to help, so I almost felt that if I told them that I didn't need their help they'd feel sad. Chef –the red one- was my closest friend out of the sprites, and he'd make me tea and cookies whenever I visited the hut he and his siblings lived in.

After my greeting was returned, I made my way out of my farm. I steered clear of the Blacksmith's. After May's brilliant remarks yesterday, I decided it'd be best to avoid Gray for a few days, just until I got the nerve to talk to him. As I walked by the shop, I glanced at my watch.

_Crap. It's almost one. He could be walking out of there any-_

"Claire?"

I felt my eyes widen at the sound of his gruff voice. I decided to pretend I didn't hear him, and I just quickened my pace, hoping desperately he'd decide to leave me alone.

_This isn't right_, I thought, _He's my best friend! I shouldn't ignore him!_

All my reasonable thoughts left me, though, when I felt a hand on my sweatshirt-clad shoulder. I turned quickly to find a confused Gray staring at my… Head?

_Oh, that's right… I didn't brush my hair very well. Dammit. Now he thinks I'm a slob._

"Claire? What's up? You look… Pale," He said, staring at my face. I was surprised he thought I looked pale, because I was sure I was blushing furiously from his gaze. I grabbed his hand from my shoulder and put it at his side, trying to stifle a cough with my free hand.

"I-" I stopped suddenly, shocked at my voice– or lack of, rather. It was like a raspy whisper. "…I'm fine…" I croaked, though I obviously wasn't.

"Are you sure you're okay? You sound sort of sick to me," Gray said and watched me suspiciously as I sneezed quietly, "Let me take you to the Clinic."

"No!" I shouted. I was astounded by myself as I quickly jogged away, towards the Inn, leaving Gray speechless in the middle of the path. _Goddess, Claire, he was just being nice. That was so mean of you._

I sighed guiltily as I entered the vacant Inn, capturing Ann's attention. She ran over to me, but stopped abruptly on her way over.

"Claire!" She cried, "What the hell happened?!"

I scrunched my eyebrows and walked over to her, "Wh-at?" I choked out, wincing slightly at the pain in my throat. Ann gasped.

"Oh, no! You're sick! What do you have?" She asked rapidly. I rubbed my hurting head as I walked over to the bar, followed closely by Ann.

I found a stray piece of paper and grabbed it, and I took the pen out of the pocket of Ann's overalls and wrote: 'can't talk. Evil aches. Cold.'

Ann chuckled, "Ah, so you caught a cold," She paused as I nodded miserably, "Did you go see Elli yet?"

I grabbed the pen again and began to scribble my answer: 'No. Gray asked to take me, but I yelled at him. I'm so stupid, screaming at his face and all. Oh! And I need medicine.'

Ann looked at me questioningly, "Why'd you yell at your boyfriend?" She asked. I threw the pen at her head, but it missed. Gray and I weren't dating! "Sorry! Gosh…" She rubbed her head as if the pen had hit it. I shook my head and picked the pen up off the ground.

'So can you come with me to the Clinic to explain for me? My voice is GONE.'

Ann read my note and nodded instantly, "Sure! Let's go!" She called as she pulled me out of the Inn, leaving my side of our conversation lying on the bar counter.

As soon as we walked out the door, I saw Gray rounding the corner near the vineyard slowly.

_Crap! Ann, we gotta move_, I thought as I pulled the redhead the opposite direction of the blacksmith. She looked at me, annoyed, but then she saw whom I was running from and smiled mischievously.

_No, no, no, Ann. I'm SO not in the mood for one of your schemes._

I immediately ran ahead of her and entered the sanctuary that was the Clinic as fast as I could. Elli noticed me and waved.

"Oh, Claire! Hello," She called as I hauled myself over to her desk, revealing my pale and sickly appearance, "Oh my. Are you under the weather?" She asked quietly.

I nodded and pointed at my throat, hoping she'd understand I was trying to tell her my voice was gone.

"And you've lost you're voice?" She asked, seemingly reading my mind. I nodded once again. She smiled and reached into a drawer in her desk, and then handed me the thermometer she'd just fished out.

I hesitantly stuck it under my tongue, and we waited patiently for it to finish measuring my body temperature. A few moments later, the device began to beep. Elli pulled it out of my mouth and read the digital display.

"Oooooh, Claire, you've got a bad fever," She stated as she cleaned the thermometer, "Let me get you some medicine."

The petite nurse made her way over to a medicine cabinet and pulled out a small container of pills. She walked back over to her desk, and wrote something down on a piece of paper before she handed me the jar.

"This is for fever, runny noses, stuffy noses, headaches, sore throats, sneezing, and coughing." She told me, counting the words off with her fingers. I nodded, seeing as how I had all of those symptoms. I smiled and reached to pull out some money to pay her, but she stopped me. "No need to pay, today. How about it's an early Christmas gift? I'd say Valentine's Day…" She trailed off, no doubt daydreaming about the Doctor.

I giggled and waved as I left the brown-eyed girl to her thoughts. I decided to go back to the Inn, because they had heaters and my house didn't. As I rounded the corner, I stared up at the sky. It was a dark blue; the color it is when it rains in the Spring, but there were no clouds. It was very odd to me. I inhaled one last breath of cold, crisp air and pushed the door to the Inn open.

I stared at the floor as I made my way slowly towards the bar and took a seat. I looked up to find Ann leaning over the counter, very close to my face.

"Hi!" She said cheerily. I smiled weakly and motioned for a glass of water, which she promptly poured me. I smiled, attempting a silent 'thank you'.

I put one of the small white pills Elli had given me into my mouth and began to drink the room-temperature water, when Ann chuckled.

"So… Gray gave you a cold when he kissed you, huh?" She asked nonchalantly, causing me to spray my warm water out of my mouth and into the air.

"Whaaaaaat?!" I screamed, hurting my throat again. Ann simply laughed hysterically.

"Goddess, Ann," I heard someone say a bit further down the bar.

I froze -and probably flushed- at the sound of his curt voice. _**He**__ was __**here **__and she said __**that**__?!_

I slammed my head onto the counter top, creating a hollow 'thump' noise that seemed to radiate through my head. Ann pulled herself together and wiped a stray tear from her eye.

"Oh… Claire, you should've seen the look on your face! PRICELESS! Is that why you yelled at Gray earlier? Because you're mad at him 'cause he gave you a cold?" Ann asked, and I flicked her nose. Hard. I tried to keep my head on the counter so no one could see my beet-red face.

"N-o," I wheezed, cringing at the pain, and at the sound of my once-feminine voice, "He d-idn't g-ive me any-th-ing," I whispered slowly. Ann smirked.

"What about that brooch? He gave you that, didn't he?"

My eyes widened. _Dammit, Ann, how'd you know about that?_

As if the waitress could hear my thoughts, she said, "Yeah that's right, I know things," She giggled, "May tells me EVERYTHING when I go to the church with Cliff every so often."

I sighed. May._ How damn sly can a little girl be?_

"Anyways…" Ann continued, "On a _sort of_ unrelated note: Whatcha gonna do 'bout Valentine's Day, Claire? You can't bake cookies for Gray when you're sick!"

That was it. She was getting really annoying, talking to me about Gray like he wasn't in the room. She was one of my best friends, and I loved her, but that wouldn't save her now.

I'd already snapped.

I slowly stood up off the stool I was sitting on, and walked steadily past Gray –who I'm sure wanted to shut Ann up as much as I did- and around the counter, where I came face-to-face with the big-mouthed red head. I flicked her nose again. Then I tackled her.

She was lucky I was weakened and silenced by my sickness, or she would've been sworn at and beaten to a pulp. She was the strongest of all the girls in the village, before I did a season of farm work and built some muscle.

Unfortunately, someone unknown pulled me off of Ann before I could do any major damage to her. I was too worn out to try and fight the mediator, so I let them lift me over to the counter.

I was to worn out, that is, until I _saw _who'd intervened.

"H-ey!" I shouted in protest as that damn blacksmith set me on the counter. I instantly got up, almost lunging at the fallen waitress again, but decided to go somewhere else. I glanced over at the stool Gray was sitting at and noticed my notes I had written earlier to Ann sitting on the bar in front of his seat.

I grabbed one of the scraps of paper and wrote 'Sorry Ann, but you SO asked for it' before I left the Inn.

_Gray sure as hell shouldn't try to follow me, or I'll beat him up too_, I thought irritably.

I didn't even know where I was going until I opened the door of my new destination. _Perfect_.

I was in the Library, being glared at by a deadly black-haired librarian.

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**Yes, so… Sorry it was short! I'm going to work on the next chapter today as well, but it might not be finished 'til next weekend. Reviews would be nice, and I hope ya'll are ready for a Valentine's Day chapter**


	7. The Fourteenth

**Hm… Lots of reviews! That means I want to give EXTRA thanks to the people who did review! Thank you!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon.**

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"What do you want?" The evil librarian snapped, eying me guardedly. I took a deep breath, thinking about how I could get out of this –potentially dangerous- situation.

After a moment of silence, and thinking on my part, I came to a few realizations. One: I couldn't talk. Two: I couldn't defend myself well in my destabilized state, and three:

I was going to be murdered by Mary.

I smiled sheepishly, which just made the dark-haired woman's glare fiercer. I was scared.

_I don't get it. Mary was so nice the first few weeks I was here, but once Gray and I became friends, it's like she decided, 'Hey, I think I'm going to try to kill Claire now,' It makes no sense! What did I even do?_

I was just about to make a run for the door, when I heard something hit the wall a few feet to my right. I stared at the culprit of the noise, shocked. It was a dictionary. A _dictionary_. One of the largest and heaviest books in the library. I quickly faced Mary, my guard up. Was she going to really get me this time?

"You… What's wrong with you?!" She screeched as she let another book, titled 'Farming for Dummies', launch at me. It missed again, but this time by a smaller margin.

I looked at Mary, whom I thought had finally lost her mind. I let out a tiny squeak as I dodged another, smaller book, as it soared towards my forehead. Mary stopped hurling her precious books –which apparently weren't _that_ precious, or she wouldn't be throwing them- and screamed at me.

"Why are you here?! What do you want?! Get out of here right now, or… Or…"

I didn't want to know what she was going to say. I decided that I'd better leave before she finished her threat, which I knew wouldn't be empty. I turned and walked quickly to the door, but as soon as my hand grasped the handle, I felt a sharp pain, almost like an impact, on the front and on back of my head. I immediately blanked out, and I could just barely feel my body hit the hardwood floor of Mineral Town's library.

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_Why did she hate me so much? Everyone in town said if I was lonely, to go see Mary, because she'd make a great friend. She was the sweet villager. She was the one who everyone liked. Hell, I'll bet no one could dislike her. I even liked her, until she decided to try to kill me…_

"Claire? Hey Claire! Are you okay?"

I slowly lifted my eyelids, revealing the crowd of faces hovering above me. I counted three: Elli, Ann, and Popuri. I glanced around the room I was in, noticing I wasn't in the library anymore. I was laying on one of the Clinic's beds, on top of the fresh white sheets. I sat up, and then I realized the intense pain on all sides of my head. I could feel a bump on my forehead, and a bump equally as large on the back of my head when I felt for them.

"Wh…at?" I whispered, realizing my voice was finally coming back, "What… Happened?"

Elli spoke first, "When Saibara opened the door to go into the library, it hit you at the same time a book flew into the back of your head, it looks like," She stated softly, as if she was afraid I'd be angry with her for telling me.

"Oh…" I said, recognizing what had happened. Elli began to speak again, this time more confidently as she saw how I wasn't upset.

"Saibara rushed you over here, and then a few moments later Ann came in with a few bruises from something I don't know. Popuri came to get a check up, too, so we were pretty busy." She explained, probably remembering the overwhelming-ness of that time.

"Yeah, you've been out for almost twelve hours, Claire!" Popuri chimed in, sounding like she was almost boasting the fact. I gasped.

"Wh-what?! What time is it?!" I asked, my voice being almost completely normal.

Ann smirked, "It's eight in the morning on the fourteenth. And you missed your chance to give Gray cookies."

I rolled my eyes, but then felt a bit panicked. _What if he thinks I forgot about him? Was he ACTUALLY expecting something from me? If he was and I didn't give him something, does that mean he hates me?_

Ann clapped and startled me out of my terrifying thoughts, "Jeez, Claire. You sure space out a lot. Popuri and Elli asked you why you were going to give Gray cookies, remember?"

I widened my eyes as I felt my face heat up furiously, "No no no! I wasn't going to give him cookies!" I screamed, waving my arms frantically.

"Why not? You've been so in love with him since, like, summer," Popuri said and rolled her eyes, causing Elli to giggle.

"Yes, Claire, I agree. And he's been head-over-heels for you for a while now, too, it seems…" She trailed off, a distant look in her eye.

The girls' remarks embarrassed me awfully, but I felt a spark of… Hope? Determination? I'm not sure, but something made me feel giddy deep in my gut. I sighed.

"My goddess, you people… Just… Ugh." I said, not being able to think up some sarcastic remark about Gray and me just being friends.

"Don't worry, Claire," Ann sang teasingly, "I made extra cookies and gave them to Gray with a note signed with your name. No need to thank me, it was my pleasure," She smiled sincerely.

My eyes widened, my face flushed, my eyebrows shot up, and my neck stiffened all at the same time as my mind fumed.

"WHAAAAAAAT?!" I shouted as loud as my fragile throat would allow. Apparently it was loud enough to scare all three of the girls in the room, as they jumped nearly a foot in the air, "What?! Why?! How?! ANN!" I screeched again, unable to turn my thoughts into words.

_What did she write?!_

"Goddess, Claire! You scared me half to death!" Ann shouted, her hand on her chest, feeling her heartbeat, "What're trying to ask? I just did what you didn't have the guts to do,"

Popuri looked fascinated and she turned towards me, "Claire, were you actually going to give him cookies? If you weren't sick?" She asked seriously, and Elli looked interested in my response as well.

I thought for a moment. _Would I have given him cookies? If I did, would he think I was weird? Would he… Not like them? Not like ME?!_

"Ummmmm… I-I… I'm not sure, okay? Stop acting like a bunch of seventh-graders all caught up in inexistent relationships of your friends like it's the most important thing on the face of the earth!" I shouted. Ann chuckled.

"Well, you've forgotten something: There are only a few dozen people in this town, and when there's any sort of 'drama', everyone's interested. We have nothing better to do," The waitress explained, smirking. Elli and Popuri nodded with huge grins stuck on their faces. I sighed as Ann spoke again, "And you should be glad I gave him the cookies, because he's totally going to love them. Peanut butter chocolate chip, my specialty!"

I widened my eyes; something hit me, "Ann, what did he say when you gave them to him?" I asked.

"He was still asleep. I just put his plate and note on the table next to his bed after I put Cliff's plate and note on the table next to his bed," She said. I smiled, hopefully.

"What time is it?" I asked, and Elli looked up at the Clinic's clock.

"It's just about six-thirty, why?" She asked.

I leaped out of the bed, forgetting about my bruised head, and ran towards the door as I called, "I gotta go! Bye!"

As I cut through the icy air towards the Inn, I looked up at the sky. It was a grayish blue, and a bit cloudy.

_Maybe it'll snow…_ I thought, _But for now I just have to focus on getting those damn cookies back from Gray before he wakes up. Hurry, Claire!_

I inhaled the cold air deeply as soon as I reached the Inn's door, and when I exhaled I could see a large puff of white come from my mouth. I was a bit cold outside, even in my sweats. As soon as I caught my breath, I pushed the door open quietly and surveyed the first floor before stepping in.

It was rather dark, with the only light coming in through the few windows on the walls, but I could tell that Ann had just baked the cookies from the warm smell coming from the kitchen. It made me crave a cookie.

_C'mon Claire, let's focus!_

I nodded to myself as I tiptoed across the empty floor, and I cursed under my breath as I stepped on a creaky step on my way up the stairs. I inched my way over to the door of the boys' room upstairs. I stood there, in front of the oak door, for several moments debating whether or not I should knock.

What if I open the door and Cliff or Gray are, like, changing? THAT would be bad… But if I knock it'd wake them up… Ugh! I'll just…

I turned the knob slowly and pushed the door open a crack. I peered inside, and a wave of relief washed over me as I saw nothing but the two men sleeping in their beds. I pushed the door open the rest of the way and moved incredibly slowly over to the table near Gray's bed. I reached for the note, just to see what Ann had written, when I heard the blacksmith stir.

I froze, hoping he'd just go back to sleep.

"…Mmm…?"

_Crap…_

I widened my eyes and held my breath, as I watch Gray turn over in his bed. It looked like he was going to go back to sleep, so I went to pick up the plate and run.

"Agh!" I exclaimed quietly as I tripped. _Oh, Ann…_

I looked at the white glass plate that the sweet-smelling cookies sat on. It had been _stuck_ to the table with _something_. I sighed angrily to myself just before I heard Gray let out a huge snore.

_My goddess, is that what he sounds like while he sleeps?! It's like a monster truck with a tennis ball stuck in its exhaust pipe!_

I decided to just take the note and run like hell, but as I reached or the note…

"Who's there?!"

_Fudge._

My eyes widened again, and my breathing stopped. I turned towards Gray's bed, expecting to see him ready to deck whoever was here, but… I didn't.

Instead I saw a very tired looking Cliff sitting up in his bed. I sighed inwardly.

He's too far away to see me in the darkness. I'm safe just as long as he goes back to sleep without waking Gr-

"WHAT?!"

I slapped me forehead softly, then remembered my bump, "Owww…" I muttered as I glanced over at the now-awake Gray sitting up in his bed staring at me, bewildered.

"…Claire…?" He said, confused. I laughed nervously.

"Uh… Hey, Gray… I was just, um," I glanced around the dark room, trying to find a good reason to explain my presence. My eyes fell on the cookies next to Cliff's bed. "I was just dropping off some cookies. Happy Valentine's Day!" I sang, trying to act believable.

Gray looked at his clock and sighed, "Oh… Um, thanks…"

I bit my lip nervously as he took the card Ann had written -and forged my signature on- and read it. He smirked and handed me the slip of paper. I read it to myself:

_Dear Gray,_

_Ha! This is Ann. Claire SO was wanting to give you cookies (even if she denies it), but she was sick so I made them! If she tries to take them off your table before you wake up, tell her I glued the plate down, 'kay? These are from Claire, even if she says they aren't! SHE SO LOVES YOU._

_Claire (Ann)_

My face flushed and I scratched the back of my neck nervously, trying to think of something to say.

"Uh… Ann's evil," I muttered, mainly to myself. "I'll see you later. Bye," I said and walked out of the room, embarrassed. I found Ann and Popuri sitting at the bar eating scrambled eggs when I walked downstairs. I plopped down next to Ann.

"Hey, Claire! What'd you need to do?" Ann asked innocently. I glared at her.

"You… You're just the most evil person ever. I hope you're happy."

The redhead smiled, "Did he like the cookies? Did he like the note?"

I rolled my eyes, "Yeah, Ann. He loved the cookies and when he read your note he swept me off my feet and we locked in a passionate kiss."

"Oh my goddess, Claire! That's-" Popuri started, looking at me in sheer awe. I cut her off.

"Goddess… Popuri…" I shook my head. Ann chuckled.

"Hmph. You're going to thank me for this, mark my words," She stated, crossing her arms. I ignored her.

"I wonder if I act like it never happened, he'd forget or something? Like… If I don't make a big deal, it _won't_ be a big deal…" I mused. _It's probably right, that theory_, I thought, _I'll do it._

"Whatever, Claire… Are you feeling better?" Ann asked, staring at me intently. I furrowed my brow.

"Uh… Yeah, I am, actually. A lot better than yesterday. Thanks," I said, getting a bit creeped out by Ann's gaze.

She beamed, "Great! I'm so glad! Why don't you come back over here then, at say, eight tonight? Popuri here and I decided to have a fancy girl's Valentine's Day get-together, and it'd be a significantly less amount of fun without you, Claire," She explained.

"…Okay. I guess… Um, what do you mean by 'fancy'?" I asked.

"Oh! Well, just wear something like what you wore to your birthday party, okay? If you don't have anything, then we can lone you something," She said, and I nodded.

"Well in that case, the only thing I have is what I wore to the party earlier, and I don't have any shoes to wear, so…" I trailed off; hoping Ann and Popuri would understand my situation.

"No problem! Just come a little earlier, and we'll have something for you." Popuri sang, and I smiled.

"Okay, thanks guys. I'll see you tonight, then. Bye!" I called as I walked towards the door. I didn't think that Ann had another scheme planned for today. She never did more than one a day, especially when it was successful.

I chuckled as I walked towards my farm, also avoiding the library at all costs as I rubbed the bump on my forehead.

* * *

I pulled on my red turtleneck and blue overalls. I ran a brush through my hair quickly and clicked the lights off in my house before I stepped out into the dark, cold winter night. I stopped in front of my field and took a deep, refreshing breath; the crisp coldness filling my lungs and making me feel energized and overall relaxed. I hummed a completely random tune and I walked towards the Inn to meet Ann and Popuri, because it was almost seven thirty.

"Ah…" I exhaled, taking in the winter. I glanced up at the sky, not surprised that the clouds from earlier had gone away. It didn't bother me all that much anymore, because I knew that it _had _to snow eventually.

I turned the corners down the deserted paths, surveying the shops and houses in Mineral Town as I passed them. As I approached the Inn I took one last cleansing breath, and then pushed open the door.

"Claire!"

An overly energetic Ann and Popuri greeted me. They ambushed me and pulled me into the spare upstairs room, where they had apparently set out an outfit for me.

"Oh, wow, guys…" I said as I studied the clothing.

It was a deep cherry-colored silk dress with no sleeves, and it looked like it would only go to my knees. It appeared as though it wouldn't leave much room between my body and the fabric. It had no pattern that I could see, but it was still beautiful. Not my choice to wear the middle of winter, but it was still beautiful, I suppose. I also noticed a pair of matching red heels, at least three and a half inches tall.

"Jeez, what's with the shoes?! Do you want me to sprain my ankle or something?!" I asked, appalled. Popuri giggled.

"It'll be fine, Claire! You'll look great!" Popuri said, picking up the dress and shoes, "Here. Go change in the bathroom, okay? We'll be right here."

I took the outfit and walked into the bathroom, locking the door. I quickly stripped out of my turtleneck, causing my hair to go every way possible. I ignored it for the time being as I zipped up the side of the dress. It was certainly snug; hugging against my body like I'd predicted. I never wore anything that 'showed off my curves', really, because I was always a bit self-conscious.

_Oh well… It only us girls, I guess, so it's not like I'll be seen by any guys. That would be embarrassing._

I leaned against the counter in the bathroom and put on those ridiculously high heels. After I had them secured, I ran my fingers through my hair, hoping I wouldn't look too awful. I sighed seeing how all my attempts were in vain and exited the bathroom.

"Oh! Claire! You look fantastic in red!" Popuri exclaimed.

"Now, for your hair and makeup…" Ann said, studying my head.

"Woah, Ann. I don't wear makeup." I said, pushing her away. I never felt the need to put on makeup every single day, especially if all I was doing was working on my farm.

"Come on, it'll be fun! Please?" Ann pouted. I rolled my eyes.

"Well…" I thought. It was only one night… "Fine." I nodded, and Ann and Popuri squealed.

"Awesome! I'll do your hair!" Popuri said as she picked up a hairbrush and pushed me down onto the bed. She sat behind me and started brushing through my straight, long blonde hair. It hurt, but I didn't say anything.

"Lemme do your eye shadow now!" Ann exclaimed as she plopped down in front of me on the ground and started brushing something brown on my eyelids.

A few minutes later the two ladies had finished, they told me to look in the mirror. I stared hard at my reflection. Popuri had pulled my hair up so it was sitting on the top of my head and sort of drooping off to the left and right. The pink-headed girl had also fastened a red clip that matched my dress up where my hair was attached to my head.

Ann's makeup didn't look as bad as I thought it would. You couldn't actually tell I was wearing any, if you didn't know what I looked like without it. The brown eye shadow she'd applied made my sapphire blue eyes stand out more than I ever thought possible, and my eyelashes looked noticeably longer with mascara on.

All in all, I thought I looked like one of the models on those superficial magazines.

I didn't like it. It wasn't me.

"Gee, guys… Well, I definitely look… Different, right?" I said, smiling cheesily.

"You look amazing!" Ann and Popuri gushed. I laughed nervously.

"So, when are you guys going to change?" I asked, realizing it was after eight and the two girls were still dressed in their normal clothes.

"Oh… We'll change now; you can go ahead downstairs since it's about eight. Everyone should be here. Have fun!" Ann said as she pushed me out of the room and into the hallway.

I sighed. I heard voices from downstairs, so I started down the stairs. I was focused on my feet and not twisting my ankle on my way down the stairs, so I didn't notice that the talking had quieted down and the entire first floor was silent.

I sighed, again, when I reached the bottom of the stairs. I walked over to the bar and sat down. I froze as I looked over at who was sitting at the bar with me.

There sat Rick, Cliff, Doctor, and Gray. My eyes widened as I flushed. Ann did it again…

"C-Claire…?!" I heard someone mutter. It could've been any of them. I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah?!" I asked angrily. Ann was seriously ticking me off these past few days, and I wasn't in the mood to be drooled on by the town's bachelors.

"…What… Happened?" They asked, and I looked down the bar at the requester.

Once again, it could've been anyone. They were all looking at me with the strangest gazes… It creeped me out. I would've recognized Gray's voice, and Cliff and Doctor wouldn't have had the guts to say anything. That left Rick.

"I got tricked. Yup, I got tricked…" I said, debating whether or not I should make a run for it. I'd already sat down, I couldn't run in those shoes, and… I was probably too shaky to move.

Let's go, Claire. Just… Move.

"Well, then. I'm going to go strangle Ann and Popuri, and don't any of you try to stop me. I'm sure you know that I can -and will- hurt whoever gets in my way right about now," I stated as I got up, "Goodnight."

I was pissed. I stomped over towards the stairs, but in my anger, I must've forgotten to watch where I was going because I tripped in those damned shoes.

Thud.

I fell down. On my face. And it hurt. I could hear someone get up and probably try to come over and help me, but I got up and ran out the Inn's door before they could reach me.

I was crying.

The tears blurred my vision, and in the cold air they made my face feel like a chunk of ice. I stopped and pulled those stupid shoes off and ran home, my feet stinging on the cold stone.

_Ann is so evil, Ann is so evil_, I kept saying to myself as I tried to wipe the tears off my face. _She's evil, but so funny._

I sighed as I entered my house, prepared to not leave my farm for the next three weeks.

_I've had way better Valentine's Days…_

* * *

**Not very long, again, I'm sorry! But I guess it's still better than nothing, right? Next chapter comes out next weekend, okay? Please review and tell me what you think! :D**


	8. The Seventeenth

**Wooooow. Not a _whole _lot of reviews. Maybe that's why I took two weeks to update .**

**Naw, I just had too much homework XD This is a shorter chapter, but it's massive amounts of unplanned-fluff and the fact that I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean 3 should make up for it :3 **

**And this chapter was supposed to be totally different. In fact, I was only making it up as I went along (like COMPLETELY) and I'm so happy with how it came out! Review, please, if you want an on-time update! AND THAT'S NOT BRIBERY.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harvest Moon or any of it's characters.**

* * *

There I sat, yet again, on my bed. It was three days after Valentine's Day, making it Winter seventeenth already. I would wake up, put on my sweats, put my hair back in a loose ponytail, feed my animals while sighing at the lack of snow, then watch stupid shows on TV before bed. That became my new schedule, because I just couldn't bring myself to face the town yet.

Anywhere I would've gone, someone would be there to comment on my humiliating show at the Inn. Cliff was always either at the Vineyard or the Church. Doctor was at the Clinic, of course, or at the mountain. Rick was at the Supermarket or the Poultry Farm, because that's where his two loves reside: Karen and chickens. Ann was at the Inn most of the time, but sometimes she'd be up at the hot springs with Popuri, and Goddess knows I couldn't go to the Library.

Then there was Gray. He was probably the biggest reason I wouldn't leave the safety of my farm. For one thing, he was always getting off work at the Blacksmith right when I'd finish my farm work, so I'd run the risk of bumping into him if I decided to leave. Also, ever since that oh-so unfortunate dance with Mary at our party, he would never go to the Library in the afternoons, so I had no idea where he spent that time.

Of course, if it had snowed after that incident at the Inn, I would've felt much better about… Well, everything. If it had snowed that evening when I was walking to the Inn, I would not have come. I would have stayed home or something and played around, or just sat in the cold fluff. If it had snowed while I was running home, crying, my mood would've been instantly zapped so that I was the most cheerful and happy person in the world. If it had snowed any day since then and the present, I would have forgotten my woes and ran into town, declaring that it had finally snowed after weeks of waiting.

But it didn't snow.

I hauled myself over off my bed and onto my couch as I grabbed the remote for the television and clicked it on. It was on the news, blaring the same information it'd been blaring for over a week.

"The holidays are coming up fast!" The TV announced. I hadn't really taken it to heart, though, seeing as how I was too busy wallowing in my self-pity. But now I really did realize: _The holidays are coming up!_

In just one short week, it'd be Christmas Eve and the Starry Night Festival, followed by Christmas Day.

Quite frankly, I had no idea what I was supposed to do. It was my first winter in Mineral Town, after all, and I hadn't the slightest bit of knowledge on how people here celebrated these days. And in my hermit-like sate, I was sure I was going to end up staying all alone in my house, staring at those big bright stars from out my window, wishing I'd have someone to spend time with. But at the rate things were going, the only possible person who'd fit any criteria to spend that time with me was going to be so awkward around me I'd end up having a better time with that snow lady in my field.

Of course, I was talking about Gray.

I sighed, clicking the television off. My clock read two twenty-four, so I figured I'd just take a quick walk to clear my head since Gray would be wherever he was going by now.

Grabbing my white hat, mittens, and scarf, I walked out of my modest home. As I secured the hat on my head, I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. My lungs absorbed the cold air and I exhaled, feeling amazingly well. I slipped on my mittens and wrapped my scarf loosely around my neck as I walked out of my farm and past the Blacksmith. Rick was at the Supermarket and Popuri wouldn't come out in this cold, so I was alone on my walk while I passed the Poultry Farm.

I noticed May wasn't outside playing. Barely probably assumed it was far too cold for her to be out; and he was definitely right. It was freezing, to say the least. I had my blue sweater-clad arms huddled up near my chest, and my breath was so thick in the air it almost made it hard for me to see when I exhaled. I didn't mind it, though. In fact, I preferred it to the scorching heat of summer and the endless humid rain of spring. Autumn was actually a very good season. My second favorite, that's for sure. The holidays in fall are almost as good as the ones in winter. The beautiful colors and the cooler temperature –along with the wonderful scents- made it a cozy time of the year.

Winter was cozier, though.

I turned the corner into the square and saw, much to my relief, no one. I walked over to the bulletin board and saw a new message put up by the mayor:

_Residents of Mineral Town:_

_The holidays are coming closer! To commemorate the festivities, there will be a shindig at the Inn on Starry Night, before and after the star viewing at Mount Moon. There are a few requirements to be met by everyone in town:_

_-EVERYONE must participate in the get-together at the Inn_

_-EVERYONE must have a partner/escort when going to see the stars and attend the party_

_-EVERYONE must close shops on the 24__th__ and 25__th__, as the town must be a carefree place to stroll about_

_-NO ONE can break these rules unless they are ill or an urgent matter comes up_

_The celebration begins Winter 24__th__, 5pm at the Inn. BE THERE._

_-Mayor Thomas_

I rolled my eyes. I needed to go to this thing, it seemed. I knew I'd never find a willing escort. I'd probably end up going with Carter or something. I shuddered at the thought of going out with the town's pastor, who was probably closer to twice my age than to my age.

I sighed again, my vision blocked momentarily by my breath. I decided to go to the beach, since it was always deserted in winter and it would be a tremendous place to just sit and think. Knowing myself, I'd probably end up thinking about guys, even though that was the thing I hated at the moment.

I walked carefully down the frozen steps and down onto the cool sand, surveying the bitter-cold misty waters. I walked very slowly down the pier, as it was icy and I did not wish to slip into the frozen water and die of hypothermia. I got to the end safely and sat down with my legs dangling a good five feet above the water.

Then, I thought.

_What am I going to do for Christmas…? I need to think this out completely. Okay, first let's decide on a good date._

_Cliff… Cliff is too shy. He did give me that adorable handmade necklace, but… I just don't think of him like that. Plus, if he went with me, Ann would kill both of us._

_Doctor… He's too serious. And he scares me. Besides, Elli is so totally crushing on him, and she's like my best friend, so I couldn't do that to her even if I wanted to._

_Rick… No. Just no. He's completely infatuated with Karen, anyways, so it's not like he'd even consider going with me. Not to mention that we don't exactly see eye-to-eye when it comes to poultry…_

_Kai… Wait, he's not even here. Anyways, he's too much of a player for my liking, and Popuri is undeniably in love with him._

_That leaves Gray. Like I'd actually ask him… Huh. Well, I'm sure Mary would mind, but I don't care about her feelings. And I doubt Gray would go with her after how badly she embarrassed the two of us. But still, would he want to go with me? I'm not that great. As a matter of fact, I'm pretty awful._

_I don't look very pretty, regardless of how Ann and Popuri made me look on Valentine's Day. I have plain, straight, straw-like blonde hair that's lucky to even be brushed daily. My skin may be clear, but it's far from beautiful. It's too pale to be desirable, I think, and I have freckles across my nose and cheeks, even if they're hard to see. My body is… so-so, I suppose. I'm most certainly not overweight, but I'm not pencil-thin, either. I'm not exactly the LARGEST gal around, but I'm not, well, nonexistent…_

_Then there's my personality. I'm too spacey. I get lost in my thoughts, zone out, and daydream way too often. Even though I do too much thinking, I'm not all that intelligent. I tend to be sarcastic. I get so random and annoying sometimes when I keep talking and talking and can't shut up. I'm also pushing insane, seeing as how often I get into arguments with myself... That's it. I've officially convinced myself._

_No guy will ever want me._

_I'm surprised I even have friends._

"Why the hell would you say that?"

I was startled out of my thoughts by some stranger's voice, apparently puzzled at my thoughts. _Wait, how do they know what I was thinking?!_

"What?!" I said, shocked and somewhat afraid that I'd pondered all of that out loud. I turned around to see who was speaking to me. I was extremely disgruntled to find an angry-looking, hat-wearing, short-tempered blacksmith staring at me intently.

"Why the hell would you say any of that, Claire?! Goddess, it's like you are thinking about committing suicide or something!" He shouted heatedly at me, causing me to shrink back.

"Wh-what did you hear…?" I asked, hoping desperately he'd not heard me give my opinions on the men in town.

"I heard enough to understand you think way too lowly of yourself to be healthy, and that you think no guy will ever want you." He said, sitting next to me on the dock, "And that you argue with yourself."

I crossed my arms, "Well, the truth is the truth, and I've just realized that I'm…" I thought for a moment, trying to find a good enough word to describe myself entirely, but I failed, "I'm… Me…"

"Exactly,"

My eyes shot up to his face and I watched at him expectantly. He looked like that was all he was going to say, as he was just watching the waves with his mouth shut. I sighed and shook my head.

"No, it's not… Um, it's not a good thing! You don't get it! You just heard me give an accurate explanation that just proves my point! Ugh! Why don't you get it?!" I exclaimed, flustered. Why would he think any different than I?

He sighed and shook his head, just the same way I had done a moment before, "Why don't _you_ get it, Claire? You have to be pretty damn stupid to believe anything you said about yourself."

_Oh no he didn't._

"What the hell, Gray?! Now I'm stupid?! I should've guessed! I'm stupid to think you'd even understand where I'm coming from! And no one was even supposed to hear any of that stuff, anyways…" I said, dejectedly. I was shocked to discover I sounded on the verge of tears.

Honestly, I don't think anyone would have ever found out that's how I thought of myself if Gray hadn't accidentally heard me that day. It wasn't exactly supposed to be heard by anyone. Ever. It was the inner workings of my mind, and to know those things is a right only I have. Not Gray. Or anyone. I have to say, though, I would've expected Gray to be a lot less… Mature about it than this, what with trying to convince me otherwise.

_Whoops, here they are_, I thought. The tears had begun to flow. I blinked and two clear drops rolled down my cheeks, and I was starting to hate myself for it. I didn't want to cry, especially not in front of anyone, or rather, especially not _alone with Gray_.

I pulled my knees up to my chest and hugged them feeling the freezing ocean breezes. I wiped my face with my sleeve, although I knew it wouldn't do any good if I couldn't keep the tears from coming. I looked down, laying my forehead on my knees, and just… cried. I didn't care if Gray was there anymore. He could leave if he was uncomfortable; I didn't care.

I'd come here expecting to be alone, after all.

I didn't look up. I didn't even check to see if he was still there. I assumed he'd already left, as it was completely silent except for my sobs.

So when I felt an arm hug around my shoulders, you can imagine my shock.

I knew that it was Gray who was consoling me because I could smell his jacket. It smelled like ore, coins, and smoke from the Blacksmith. I turned towards him and wrapped my arms around him under his arms, embracing him as I sobbed into his shoulder. He put his arms around my neck loosely, staying as silent as the inside of the winter mine during the summer.

"You're not stupid, or ugly, or insane, Claire," He said quietly, "You're the complete opposite of how you make yourself out to be. Goddess, how long have you been thinking that stuff was true?"

I just shook my head, unable to respond properly. The truth was I'd thought that stuff for most of my life, after I'd realized I was the only girl in my fourth grade class who didn't have a 'boyfriend' at the time. That sent me home crying much like at I was now, but it also got me thinking: Why? Why didn't any of those boys like me enough to be my 'boyfriend'? I thought and thought, and came up with the same conclusions I had earlier when Gray overheard. I knew after I got out of Junior High that the whole 'boyfriends in fourth grade' thing was a tad obsessive, even for a nine-year-old.

"F-fourth grade…" I whispered, and I could tell he was confused and curious, but he didn't ask about it. I'm glad he didn't, because it seemed like such a juvenile reason to let my self-esteem drop so dangerously low and stay that way, looking back.

He hugged me tighter, and that was when I realized a few things: One, I was hugging Gray, and that was… Interesting. Two, Gray had basically called me pretty, or at least _not ugly_. And three, I wasn't all alone, and I would probably have company this Christmas.

I smiled slightly, my tears slowing down to a near halt as I hugged Gray tighter.

"Thank you, Gray."

* * *

**:D TEH FLUFF IT BURNZ**

**Oh, And I still have that poll in my profile! Make sure you vote on who should be the pairing in my next fic if you haven't yet! :3 This chappie was so fun to write, I think I'll start on the next one (After I finish my history homework X3)  
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	9. The Eighteenth

**OO;;; SORRY! It took FOREVER to write this itty-bitty chapter ;;; It's more of a filler chapter, too TT**

**I'm going to try review replies, now I hope I won't forget anyone... Let's see.**

_**Mrs. Story-- Oh, thank you! Graire fluff IS the cutest, huh? Yes, updates are cuter. Here's an update, but it might not exactly be "cute"...**_

_**xo-emma-ox-- O.o lol. Okay. I know, it is different, huh? I didn't even plan it. I just decided, "Time to write the next chapter," and sat at my computer. No idea what it was supposed to be. Then: BAM. Claire sob-story. lol.**_

_**Sarah303-- lol, thank you. Ann and Claire have an odd relationship. They're like best friends. Actually, Gray and Claire are best friends, but... You know what I mean, right? Claire is just forgiving by nature, I suppose...**_

_**Eve Pomme-- You're so sweet! lol, thank you, but don't envy me. Just read a bunch of fics, and start typing up randomness. That's what I did, and I got this story. lol.**_

_**MandarinOrange92-- Don't we all love the fluff? XD Oooh, look! I'M CONTINUING! XDDD**_

_**BeautifulAuthor-- First off: Love your username. Second: I know, I realized I made Gray TOTALLY OOC, so I tried to make it better in this chappie. TRIED. You have to remember, though, that Claire and Gray are best friends and have been for nearly a year. Thanks! YOUR REVIEW MADE ME SQUEAL. I love constructive Critizism! lol.**_

_**xxsummerangelxx-- rofl. You'll find out soon enough... Actually, you'll find out in like the last chapter or so, because I still haven't narrowed down exactly what Claire wished for XD. ...I'm partial to the TinaxBlue matching in MM. And Skye makes me want to barf. lol. Of course, Gray is my favorite in any game (or all games... :P). Here's an update! Let us sqeal together! XD**_

**_Durotos-- Indeed, she does get hurt often. She's accident-prone, XD. Yup, I know lots o' girls feel that way. Heck, I'm one of them XD But I just needed Claire to say that so Gray could overhear. It's sad, huh? At least, I hope people think it's sad, so that that chapter made sense O.O;;;_  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harvest Moon. D:**

**NOW... ON WITH THE STORY (FINALLY)!**

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I skipped down the path, allowing my scarf to fly into my face. I pushed the door to the Inn open, and just as I expected, Ann came rushing up to me.

"Claaaaaire!"

I smiled slightly. Gray had walked me home the evening before in a comfortable silence, and I thanked him one more time and he left. I slept like a rock, and I woke up on time at six. I decided that I didn't care what others thought about me –even though most of the time I didn't care, regardless- and I came into town. I'd have to straighten things out with Ann first, though, as the last few days I'd seen her we didn't exactly get along perfectly.

"Hey, Ann," I said, trying to act indifferent, "Did you hear?"

Ann looked at me quizzically, "Hear what?"

I smirked. I knew nothing she probably didn't already know. But she thought I knew something interesting, and that was probably what caught her attention.

"Oh… Nothing," I said, trying to make it seem like I was lying. I had no idea what I was even trying to do, but I decided it'd be fun to see where this lead.

"What is it?!" Ann demanded, pulling me over to the bar and sitting me down rather forcefully. I sighed.

"You'd never guess…" I trailed off, acting like I was daydreaming, when in all reality I was just trying to figure out what my amazing news was supposed to be.

"You're right. Tell me."

"No."

"If this is because of what Popuri and I did, we're sorry! We had no idea you'd trip and fall on your face and start crying!" She explained franticly. I rolled my eyes.

"What were you two trying to accomplish, then, by sending my down looking like some… some… superficial Barbie doll, only to be stuck at a bar with a bunch of drooling guys!" I said, exasperated. She looked at me intently.

"They were drooling?"

I dropped my head onto the countertop. She completely missed my point.

"Ann,"

"Yeah?"

I thought for a moment before saying, "Who're you going with on Starry Night?"

She seemed shocked. Shocked, or embarrassed, because she didn't respond right away. I had to remove my head from the table and give her an expectant look before she said anything.

"Oh, well, I don't know…" She said, fidgeting with her thumbs under the counter, "Maybe Cliff…"

I grinned. I knew whom everyone 'liked' in the Town. Ann had a crush on Cliff, similarly to Elli's on Doctor, but Ann was less… Spacey about hers. Rick loved Karen, and had told her, so when she wasn't totally creeped out by the chicken-hugger we all knew she had a thing for him as well. Mary loved Gray, and she didn't try to hide it nearly as much as I'd expected her to when I first met her, being so shy and all. Popuri and Kai had this soap opera-like love, complete with the insane brother who's out to murder the boyfriend.

"Ann, Ann, Ann," I said, shaking my head, "So predictable."

Ann scrunched up her brow. "So? What's wrong with Cliff?"

"Nothing. It was just so predictable that you'd choose him." I said matter-of-factly. Ann looked annoyed as she rolled her eyes.

"What about you, Claire? Who're YOU going with?"

I sighed. I knew this question was coming, but it didn't matter. I grinned slightly as I spoke, "I'm not sure. I haven't asked anyone yet, but I have a good idea of who-"

"Gray!" Ann cut me off. I was confused as to why she randomly blurted out the blacksmith's name. Was she just assuming that's who I'd ask?

"What?" I asked, tilting my head. Ann smirked.

"Oh, it's just Gray's standing right behind you," She explained, and I turned around. I was unhappy to find no one standing there at all. Ann had tricked me so easily. I turned back around, and Ann wasn't behind the bar anymore. I looked around, puzzled.

"Ann? Come on, Ann, where'd you go?" I called as I scanned up and down the bar.

I went around to the other side of the counter, searching for the peppy redhead. She was nowhere. It creeped me out. Sighing, I turned around to head back to my farm, defeated.

"Eeeek!" I shrieked, coming face-to-face with a startled hat-clad young man after I turned around. He stumbled backwards.

"Goddess, Claire!" He shouted, catching his breath, "Why'd you scream in my face?!"

"Why'd you sneak up on me?!" I responded loudly, equally as unhappy as the young man.

"Why'd you _scream in my face_?!" He repeated, clearly getting frustrated at my lack of response.

"BECAUSE YOU SNUCK UP ON ME!"

Gray blushed and pulled his hat down, probably embarrassed at his misunderstanding moments ago. I sighed. He stayed silent, his hat still guarding his face from my line of sight. I sighed again, much more exasperatedly, as I took a step closer to him and snatched his stupid little UMA hat of his stupid little head.

…Did I just call Gray's head stupid and little? Wow I'm out of it.

Gray's eyes widened like saucers and his cheeks flushed brighter than I'd ever seen them before after I had the hat completely off his head.

"Aw, Gway, why don't you ever take this thing off? You're awfully cute without it," I teased. He scowled and reached for the hat, but I was too quick.

I'd successfully moved around the bar and behind one of the tables before he'd even brought his hand back down to his side.

"Ha!" I said, waving his old hat in the air tauntingly, "You're too slow!" I called, mimicking an annoying blue hedgehog I'd discovered in a video game back in the city. Gray scowled at me once again.

"Claire, I'm dead serious, you give that back or… Or-"

"Or what? You'll be forced to go the rest of your life letting the rest of the world see your face?" I said matter-of-factly. I seemed to be doing that a lot. Gray's cheeks tinted a shade darker at my remark as he took off around the table towards me. I let out a tiny yelp and ran around said table, weaving in between chairs. I looked over my shoulder, only to find an extremely ticked off blacksmith coming dangerously close to me.

I let out a nearly silent curse and made a sharp right, conveniently heading right out the Inn's door. I glanced back again. Gray was still following me, looking more angry than ever– and that's saying a lot. My eyes widened as I tried to fathom what he'd do to me when -if, I mean- he got me. _Crap, crap, crap! He's going to murder me!_

I turned quickly down the road to my right, passing the winery along the way. Cliff, who was in the vineyard, watched us quizzically as we turned left, approaching the Blacksmith's. I thought as quickly as I could and decided I'd go through my farm and hide in the small area between my house and the fence surrounding my property. After I'd gotten my home remodeled there was a two-foot gap left there, where I could just barely fit.

I flew onto my quiet farm and quickly scurried into my hiding place before I caught my breath. I heard footsteps crunching lightly on the frozen grass and I held my breath, clutching Gray's tattered hat in both hands. I glanced down at it and frowned. Why did I even take it? I was going to be _murdered_!

"Claire? …Claire?" I heard Gray's rough voice call, "Claire?! Dammit, you better come out here, or… Or…" He trailed off. I smirked. He couldn't think of a good threat. _I guess he's not going to kill me after all…_

I secured his hat on my head, just for the heck of it. It was actually much warmer than I'd expected such a worn-out thing to be. Maybe Gray was just freezing without it?

"Or what?" I called from my hiding spot. I knew he turned around, startled at the sound of my voice, because I could hear more quick crunching after that. I squished back a little further into the crevice, hoping that if he did find me, he wouldn't be able to reach me all the way in the back.

I wasn't expecting to trip, though.

My foot got caught in a sort of gopher hole or something, and I lost my balance. Shrieking, I toppled over and hit my back on the fence, but it didn't hurt too much. Gray seemed to locate me instantly after my little yelp, and he seemed angry enough to take an axe to my cow. His face softened ever so slightly, though, when he saw my foot in the hole and my body lying limply against the fence. It… sort of creeped me out, even though he was a good yard and a half away and couldn't fit in the small space if his life depended on it.

I started to feel vulnerable just sitting there, with my foot keeping me from moving since it was locked in a tiny hole .I shrunk back, scared. _Scared_. I couldn't believe that _Gray_ –of all people, my best friend- was _scaring_ me.

_He's not going to hurt me! He's just going to help me! Goddess, Claire, what's wrong with you?! Just laugh it off! ...Wait, why am I not talking?! My voice is gone! Oh my goddess, I can't talk! Hurry, hurry, think of something! Why does my heart keep beating so painfully fast?! Why am I sweating in this weather?! Why can't I move?! WHY THE HELL AM I ASKING MYSELF ALL THESE STUPID QUESTIONS?!_

"Claire? What in Goddess' name are you doing cowering back there for?" He asked, furrowing his brow. He had to have noticed my freaked out demeanor. I looked up and my gaze met his, making my stomach turn over. At first I thought I was about to throw up or something, but then… It was sort of nice…

"…Claire…?" He asked slowly, searching my eyes for any sign that I wasn't spacing out. I tried to mumble, 'Hm?', but all that I got was a pathetic whimper-like sound that barely I could hear. Why the hell couldn't I talk?!

Gray looked at me, slightly taken aback, "D-Did I, uh, scare you or something?" He asked, upset. He reached up to lower his hat down, but was shocked to find it wasn't there.

I giggled at his expression: Pure horror. _He couldn't have forgotten I took it! And he didn't even notice its ON MY HEAD!_

I laughed louder now, much to Gray's confusion. _Oh, the look on his face! _I tried to yank my foot out of the gopher hole, but soon discovered it was lodged in there good. I sighed, still chuckling a little. Poor Gray, watching me act like a crazy person. Though I had told him I was pushing insane, even if he wasn't supposed to hear it…

"Cl-Claire…?" He murmured, catching my attention completely. He really did look cute without his hat; his short carrot-colored hair was all messy, and I didn't realize that he had bangs that covered most of his eyebrows. I shook my head, willing myself to respond.

"Hmmm…?" I hummed, proud that I'd managed a halfway decent reply. He watched me curiously as I kept tugging at my foot, trying to get it free. I heard him sigh and I looked up at him.

"Nevermind," He mumbled, and I scrunched my eyebrows at him questioningly. He noticed and shook his head, then gestured at my odd position, "How'd you manage to get yourself into this mess, anyway?"

* * *

"Hah… Oh, Cliff, you're SO funny!"

I walked into the Inn later that evening to find Ann behind the bar chatting with a red-faced Cliff. I smirked and walked over, taking a seat two over from Cliff.

"Ann, what have we here? Flirting on the job?" I giggled. Ann and Cliff both flushed so brightly it seemed inhuman. _Now is my chance to get back at Ann…_

"N-no, I-"

"Oh, it's fine, Anniebug," Ann scowled at me when I addressed her by her father's nickname for her, "I'm sure your dad wouldn't mind. He'd probably encourage it, actually…" I trailed of, trying to stifle another round of giggles. Ann shot me the worst death-glare I think I'd ever received in my life.

"Claire…" She growled, though I remained unfazed. I smiled sweetly.

"Yes, Annie?"

"Get the hell out of here," She mumbled, her cheeks still reddening.

"No thanks, Hun," I said as I span around on the barstool, "I think I'll stay here 'til the bar opens, mmkay?" Ann growled something incoherent and went into the back room, leaving poor Cliff alone down the bar from me. I swiveled around to face him, "Sorry, Cliff. I didn't mean to embarrass you, only Ann. See, I needed to get back at her for a few pranks she pulled on me,"

He nodded and exhaled, "O…kay…"

I slumped down into my seat and glanced at the clock as Cliff excused himself upstairs to his room. It was five thirty-four in the evening, so the bar should've been opened by now…

"Ann?" I called, hoping the redheaded waitress would come out of the back. Almost immediately after I called for Ann, Doug came out of the kitchen carrying a tray with two glasses of water and a bowl of French fries.

"Oh!" Doug exclaimed, looking slightly disappointed, "Where's Ann and Cliff?"

"Cliff's upstairs and Ann's in the back room," I said, eyeing the food on the tray suspiciously, "Was that for the two of them?" I nodded towards the French fries.

"Huh?" The innkeeper asked, "Oh… Yes, it was. Seeing as how Ann is too stubborn to make the first move and Cliff is too shy, I figured I'd… Nudge them closer to each other with this. Nothing brings people together like food, eh?"

I chuckled, "You're right. I'm not sure Ann appreciates your efforts, though," I said, staring at the door Ann had exited through moments ago, "But I'll bet she's truly thanking you on the inside, even if she doesn't realize it."

Doug nodded, and then set the food down near the sink before turning to me, "So, what can I get ya?"

I sighed and thought for a moment before smiling, "Anything'd be nice, thanks," Doug raised his eyebrows and shrugged before handing me some sort of honey-colored liquid, and I observed it before taking a sip.

"Is something bothering you?"

I glanced up at Doug questioningly and asked him honestly, "Do I look like something's bothering me?"

He chuckled, "Not particularly, but you never know,"

I sighed. "I'm fine, I suppose," I said, staring at the stairway to my left, "Thanks for asking."

Doug was silent for what seemed like an eternity before I finally had to look away from the staircase to make sure he was even still there. He was, and he appeared to be watching me intently while I was staring of into space.

"Is there someone up there you wanted to see…?"

I was startled by the man's question, and didn't even try to hide it. "Excuse me?"

"You were just watching the stairs for the longest time, so I guessed you were waiting for someone to come down,"

"Oh, no, no…" I said, shaking my head before taking another tiny sip of the drink. I scrunched up my nose and watched the odd substance splash around the glass, "What is this, anyways?"

Doug chuckled, "Anything,"

I was about to question him on what he meant by that exactly, but I decided against it. Maybe I didn't want to know. I sighed and sipped some more of my glass of 'Anything' before dropping 100G on the table and getting up.

"Thanks, Doug," I said, smiling as I grabbed the table for support, "I hope that covers it!"

He nodded, "Yes, thanks. Hey, are you okay to go home by yourself? It's already dark out, and you look a bit…"

"I'm fine," I cut him off and waved as I walked out the door into the absolutely bone-chilling cold of this mid-winter night. The truth was, I could never stay completely sober after even a few sips of anything alcoholic, but it was embarrassing so I didn't mention it to the innkeeper man. But I seemed just a teensy bit more… Tipsy, I suppose is the word -even though I was just fine- than I normally would be thanks to that goddess-knows-what concoction I was served.

I walked down the paths with one hand on the fence, keeping me steady, on my way home. It had certainly been an awfully long day… I sighed as I finally reached the door to my house.

I stumbled inside and flicked on the lights before plopping onto my bed. Kicking off my shoes, I peeled my overalls off and, being too tired to change, snuggled into my bed. I was surprised at how quickly I fell asleep, being it was so cold and I was only in my light flannel shirt and underwear. I guess I was just really, really tired.

One last thought ran through my head before sleep pulled me into the dark land one visits before dreams begin:

_Tomorrow… What'll it bring?_

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**Cruddy ending, sorry. But: good news! I might have a double update weekend! If I can devote tomorrow to nothing but writing... And I just got a new book that I'm dying to read. It's "Sense and Sensibility" By Jane Austen. A classic XD**

**Updating might take long times at a time, what with my crazy amounts of homework and stuff... Curse my stupid Accelerated English Class! IT GOES SO MUCH FASTER! So, my freakish amounts of English (and Geometry) homework make me unbelievably tired over the weekend, which leads to no writing. I'm sorry! But I have a good idea for the next chappies. Three or four more, then I start my next Graire fic! (lol)**

**/rant**


	10. The Nineteenth

**O...M...G... I'm alive! And I have a really short chapter! *GASP***

**You guys are so, so, so sweet for reviewing! And for sticking it through this month-and-half or so! I'm thinking that the next chapters are coming in December.**

**_DECEMBER IS WHEN IT CONTINUES._ PM me for more details.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon.**

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Cold. Freezing cold. My legs felt like ice cubes.

I felt around for my comforter, but it was gone. My sheets were gone, too. And so were my pants.

I shot up, instinctively covering my bare thighs. Glancing around, I found my overalls on the floor next to my bedding in a heap. I chuckled at my own stupidity. I had been too tired to change my clothes the night before, and that's why I was only in underwear.

I got up, still amused, and pulled open my dresser drawer. After selecting my favorite pair of jeans and a tight –but so comfortable- pink long-sleeved shirt, I pulled on my fuzzy red socks. Oh, I loved those socks. I put a blueberry bagel in my toaster and plopped down on my couch.

Today, I was going to enjoy myself even if it killed me.

I grabbed a pen and scrap of paper off my coffee table and decided to make a list of what I wanted to do today. I tapped the pen to my chin absentmindedly as I thought. Several moments later, I sighed. This wasn't supposed to be this hard.

I stared at the paper, determined. _I'll start with the basics._

NO Farming

_There. That wasn't so hard. _I scribbled onto the paper, ideas beginning to flow into my mind too fast to write them. Eventually, I was sitting on my couch with a hefty to-do list in my hand. I read it aloud:

"NO farming

No talking to people. People make things stressful.

Sit at Mount Moon and eat lunch

Climb the Apple Tree

Hot Springs!

Ice skate on the lake

Drink Hot Cocoa

Bake something

Paint nails

Make mac and cheese for dinner

Eat it

Do cartwheels in the field

Check for snow!"

I giggled and got up to put cream cheese on my bagel, leaving the list on the table. I was stuffing down my breakfast, barely able to contain my excitement. I hadn't had a day just for me to enjoy in over five years. Sad, I know.

I finished my food in record time and grabbed my rucksack. Glancing at my clock, I saw that it was already nine in the morning. I was surprised I hadn't slept in later, seeing as how the night before went.

I figured I wouldn't have enough time to come back to my house for anything, so I'd need to pack all my equipment before I left. I exhaled thankfully for my abnormally spacious backpack and sat it, open, on the table. I flew over to my closet and dug around for my old ice skates. I located them conveniently quickly and darted back to set them in my bag.

Then, I went back over to my dresser and pulled out my solid red tankini. I didn't think I'd need it in the winter, so I smirked as I tossed it into the rucksack and scurried over to my kitchen. The first things I pulled out from refrigerator were a cob of corn and some butter. I shook my head at how disorganized I was.

_Oh well, I'll just have to have baked corn for lunch._

I put the corn in the oven and got out my salt and pepper. In a matter of moments, the corn was done. I pulled it out carefully and buttered it before shaking on some of the seasonings. I sealed it up in a plastic container and set it in the rucksack.

I pulled on my shoes over my fuzzy socks. I didn't care if they weren't for outdoor use. I was making them outdoor-usable. I stepped outside and was hit by a blast of freezing wind. I hustled back inside, looking around for a sweatshirt.

"Come on, come on…" I muttered as I rummaged through my drawers. I grabbed an oversized plain red T-shirt and pulled it on over my long-sleeved shirt, deciding it would work for today.

I'll grab some mittens and a hat while I'm here…

I picked up the first pair of mittens I saw. They were my white ones. I spied my blue hat on the side of the couch, so I ran and picked it up before dashing outside once again.

The cold air thrust itself into me, invigorating my mind and refilling my spirit. I pulled the list out of my rucksack and thought momentarily about what should be done first. I decided that the things that required light would be done first, and then the rest could be finished. Putting the list in my pocket, I grinned.

"First thing's first," I muttered, narrowing my eyes at my field, "Three… Two… One… Now!"

I darted off towards my huge field, dropping my rucksack on the icy grass. I lunged forward, leaning my weight onto my hands and pushed myself back onto my feet. Laughing, I continued this for several minutes without stopping. When I had finally gotten so dizzy I fell over, I giggled to myself. "Cartwheels in field—Check."

Regaining my balance, I pulled out the list again. Scanning over it briefly, I bit my lip. _What to do next? _I folded it up and shoved it in my pocket once again, picking my bag up and slinging it over my shoulder. I took off at full speed towards the forest.

I sprinted up the path, turning in the right places to reach my destination—The Lake. I was relieved when I got to the area without running into anyone from town. I sat down on a log near the frozen surface and pulled my skates out of my rucksack. I got them on in record time. I slowly walked over to the lake, my nerves starting to kick in. I hadn't ice skated in years… What if I fell? What if I broke something? What if the ice broke and I fell into the freezing water?

…Meh.

I stepped on the thick ice and pushed off very, very slowly. I felt the cold breeze stinging my nose. I closed my eyes and inhaled, feeling utterly content. And then I fell.

I landed on my knees, so I didn't get too hurt. I got back up, steadied myself, and restarted my skating. It felt so good to float above the ice after all those years… After a few minutes of familiarizing myself with the skates, I got a little more risky with my tricks. I skated backwards, did a simple turn, and went on one foot many times. I glanced at my watch as I sat on that log, taking a break.

"Hmm… It's just about noon…" I pulled off my skates and slipped into my shoes again. Picking up my rucksack, I made my way back to my farm.

Once there, I pulled out my list again, counting five out of the thirteen things needing to be done indoors. I sighed contently. Having a day all to myself was brilliant. I walked inside, kicking my shoes off and going into the kitchen. I went to my refrigerator and pulled out some typical baking ingredients: flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, chocolate, brown sugar, vanilla extract, eggs, and milk. I wasn't sure I'd _need_ all of that stuff, but I figured I might as well take it out.

Taking a large bowl and a wooden spoon, I readied the oven for the baking. I took the bag of flour and poured into the bowl what looked like two cups, and then I poured in half as much sugar. Putting in a pinch each of the baking soda and the cinnamon, I began to mix. I stirred in some of the brown sugar with just a tiny bit of the vanilla and cracked in two eggs. I poured in about a half-cup of milk and continued to mix until the mixture was dough-like. It was a little runny, so I added a little more flour and stirred. Feeling a bit chancy, I shook in some more cinnamon and poured in a good amount of chocolate chips. I decided to add just a little more sugar—to be on the safe side.

I placed good-sized scoops of this dough an inch apart on two cookie sheets and slid them in the hot oven, pleased with myself for baking something from scratch. I didn't set the timer on my oven, as I had no idea how long they'd take. _I'll smell them when they're done._

I jogged to my bathroom and grabbed my Ruby Red nail polish off the counter. Sitting at the table in the main room, I began to color my toes. Whenever I'd paint my nails, I felt good. I felt more confident. I felt… More _pretty_. As soon as my feet were done, I did my left hand. Whenever I did my right hand, I always ended up missing the nail. I soon learned that this time was no different.

As I twisted the cap back on the nail polish, I began to smell my cookies. It smelled like chocolate covered cinnamon sticks. I peered inside the oven, pleased to find that my oddball cookies weren't erupting all over the place. I gave them another minute as I put some water on the stove to boil for cocoa.

I put on an over mitt and pulled the cookie sheets out of the burning appliance and set them on the counter to cool. I plopped down onto my couch and just… Breathed. Glancing at the clock, I knew it was already two. I'd have a late lunch it seemed… _Actually, I'll save the corn for dinner and skip lunch now. It'll be easier that way, since I'm not really even that hungry._

I jumped up to the screeching kettle. I poured the water into a thermos I had put powdered hot chocolate mix into. I stirred it up and sealed it. I then directed my attention to the warm, unplanned cookies next to me. They were a perfect golden brown; chocolate bits melted on the surface and specks of cinnamon visible from every angle. They smelled unbelievable good, too. I grabbed one off the sheet and broke it open, allowing a puff of light steam to rise into the air.

I couldn't resist it anymore; I took a big bite.

"Wow!" I exclaimed, my mouth full, "It's delicious! How the hell'd I managed to do that?!"

Filling a plastic baggy with a few of my treats, I stuffed it into my rucksack with the thermos. I exited my farmhouse and spied my towering apple tree a few yards in front of me. My bag still on my back, I leapt onto the tree and climbed. I made it to the highest secure branch and pulled out the list and the cocoa. I marveled at how much I'd already finished—there were only two things left: Eat dinner and visit the hot springs. I decided that going to the springs in the dark would be more fun than now, and since I wasn't ready for dinner yet, I stayed in the tree.

It was about twenty minutes later when I heard footsteps coming onto my farm. I looked to the entrance and saw Ann, Elli, and Gray trudging over to my door. Gray was holding something that I couldn't see, and Ann and Elli were whispering to each other frantically. Suddenly, Ann jumped in front of Gray, stopping him.

"Gray, you can't! Not yet, anyways!" She exclaimed, and Elli nodded.

"I don't think she's ready now. You don't want to scare her, right?" She questioned. Gray shoved his hands into his pockets, obviously annoyed.

"Look, it's _my_ choice whether or not I ask. It's _her_ choice whether or not she's ready. Did you hear either of your guys' opinions in there? I didn't."

"But Gray! _Think_ about this! Are you _ready_ for this kind of thing?" Elli pleaded. Ann sighed helplessly.

"Oh, Goddess, Elli; I don't think he's even listening."

"I'm listening," Gray growled, "And I don't think you get this: It's. Our. Decision."

Whose decision? What're they talking about? Why're they on my farm?

I leaned over to hear them more clearly, but unfortunately, I lost my balance. I was able to grab the branch and steady myself before I fell off, but my rucksack was not so lucky. It went tumbling down to the ground, and landed with a barely audible crunch. I watched in despair as my baked corn rolled—out of the bag and its container—over towards the group of young adults.

They all fell silent as the food made its way over to them. Ann picked it up and examined it.

"…Cold baked corn?" She furrowed her brow. Elli walked over towards the tree I was perched in and picked up my fallen backpack.

"Look! I found Claire's bag," She exclaimed. Ann jogged over and looked inside. I rolled my eyes. _Nice Ann. Just invade my privacy._

"Ice skates, a thermos, some weird looking cookies, and a piece of paper," she announced, and then studied my list, "It's like a weird to-do list or something."

Elli took it and read it aloud, much to my dismay, "No farming, no talking to people. People make things stressful, sit at Mount Moon and eat lunch, climb the Apple Tree, Hot Springs, ice skate on the lake, drink hot cocoa, bake something, paint nails, make mac and cheese for dinner, eat it, do cartwheels in the field, and check for snow,"

Ann snatched it back, "What the hell? Oh, I get it," She picked up my cookies from inside my bag, "So she baked these, and went skating, and I guess she was going to eat the corn for lunch. But…" She looked up at the apple tree, thankfully not at me, and Elli and Gray followed her gaze.

"Claire? Are you… up there?" Elli called, walking over. Ann had already run over and now Gray was slowly following, his face the color of a tomato.

I leaned over to get a better look at whatever it was Gray was holding in his hand. Suddenly the branch felt more slippery than before and I lost my balance completely. I let out a small squeak as I plummeted that nearly ten feet down to the hard ground. I landed right on my back, narrowly missing Ann.

"Omigosh Claire!" Elli shouted as she ran over, her internal nurse kicking in, "Are you alright?!"

I sat up slowly, wincing at the sharp pain in my back. "I think I'm okay," I nodded, "But what in Goddess' name are you guys doing here? And what the hell is 'our choice'?!"

Gray flushed and Ann and Elli exchanged urgent glances. "Chill, Claire," Ann paused, "Gray was arguing with me about, eh, furniture in the guest rooms. He says it should be Cliff and his choice, since they're really the only ones who stay there."

I raised my eyebrow, "And Gray refers to Cliff as 'she'?"

The two girls exchanged amused glances and I spied Gray scowling at them. "You see what you two do?! It would've been fine if you had just left me alone! Goddess, what do you suggest I do know, huh?!"

I was seriously taken aback. "Gray! Relax! What did they even do?!"

Gray sighed angrily and left. I watched the two ladies who were still here expectantly. Neither of them felt like talking, it seemed. We stood in a semi-awkward silence for at least ten minutes before Elli spoke up.

"I have to get back to the Clinic now. Claire…" She looked at me with… Pity? "I'm so sorry."

And then she left. I looked at an in total confusion, but she spoke before I could, "Me too, Claire. …See you later."

And then _she_ left. I sighed, frustrated. "Did I _miss_ something here?!"

* * *

**:O What happened? What was Gray holding? What's everyone's problem?! Review with your guesses, please! :D**


	11. The Twenty Fourth

**It's December, and I have a Christmas present for you all! Hohoho! It's an update! And guess what? ...It's the last chapter!**

***ZOMGZOMGZOMG***

**I've never finished an entire fanfic before, so I feel happy. Of course, it's not totally over until the epilogue is written, and that'll have to be after I get some reviews. ;D**

**No review replies this chappie, because I'm about to collapse over my keyboard. For the epilogue, I gaurantee review replies, so you should totally review so I can reply. BD**

**Oh yes, and this chapter is a whopping 9,200+ page-er. Hehe. And that is the most I've ever done at one (technically two, but falling asleep at my desk shouldn't count) sitting. I shall reward myself with a cookie. *Eats cookie***

**Okay, now you guys can read it. Hah. Goodnight! *Collapses*  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon or any of it's characters.**

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I exhaled, stepping back and admiring my work. I had just finished putting the lights that I had brought from the city on my house. They were simple white bulbs that hung down like icicles, and I adored them. It was still too light out to really notice them, so I kept them turned off until sunset.

It was somewhat sad that I had just gotten around to putting up my lights, what with it already being Christmas Eve, but I had just been too busy the last few days. I had made a mad dash to Zack's house so I could order some gifts from the city for my friends, and they were supposed to come in today. I set off down the path, smiling absentmindedly.

For Ann, I ordered a little red dress, mainly for extra revenge for the Valentine's Day mishap. Elli was to get a bunch of stress-relieving aromatherapy things, but not because she was stressed—because I figured she'd like to learn about that sort of stuff. Popuri was getting a dictionary, because she could really use one. Karen was getting a beginner's cookbook written by some famous television chef. I decided to get Mary something, too—A collection of Dr. Seuss' works. Hey, she likes to read, and who doesn't like Dr. Seuss' stories?

I also got Cliff a little something, since he made me such a wonderful birthday gift. He was getting a new jacket that would keep him warmer in the wine cellar at the Winery. Oh yeah… I had something for Gray already, but I happened to misplace it, because I'm such an idiot. Heh.

I glanced upwards at the clear sky, its bright blue color magnified by the cold in the air. I had already made it to the beach, and saw Zack leaving his house.

"Hey, Zack," I jogged over to him, "Did my orders come in yet?"

"Yep, they actually just arrived a half-hour ago," He nodded towards the empty dock, "The boat just left. I have your stuff in my house, nice and safe. I was just leaving to tell you it arrived."

"That's great!" I beamed, "Do you think I could get it now, so I have time to wrap them before the party?"

"Of course." He turned around on his heel and dashed back into his hut. He returned moments later with two large bags, one in each of his muscular hands. I reached out to take them, and, much to my dismay, found out they were indescribably heavy. When I thought I had them balanced well enough, I turned to leave and called a "thank you" back at the shipper.

I started off the beach, and after I heard Zack go back into his house, I dropped the lead bags on the sand.

"Ugh," I panted, "How heavy _is_ all this stuff?"

I shrugged off the pain in my wrists and decided to drag the bags across the beach, and then once I reached the stairs, I'd figure something out. I grabbed the stings of the containers and braced myself.

_One, two, three…_

I tugged with all my might and began taking small, strained steps through the cool sand, the two bags moving steadily behind me. In what seemed like an hour, I had finally reached the stairs. As I studied the merciless concrete, I realized that there was no way in hell I was going to be able to get these things all the way back to my farm on my own.

I sat down on the steps and glanced at my watch, noting that it was still around nine in the morning. That meant that Zack would have his door locked, and I couldn't get his help. The Snack Shack was deserted since Kai wasn't here anytime but summer, so obviously getting help there was out of the question. No one came to the square until afternoon—wait!

I got up and climbed the stairs quickly, entering the large paved square. I scanned the area with a flick of the head and saw exactly what I thought I'd see: a hat-clad figure studying the bulletin board.

"Gray! Hey!" I jogged over to him, my hair flopping around carelessly and my breath coming out in quick, white puffs. The blacksmith turned around to face me.

"Oh… Hey," He nodded, adjusting his hat so that it covered the majority of his face, "What's up?"

I leaned over and caught my breath, then explained my dilemma. He watched me in incredulous silence the whole time, and even a while after I had finished. After at least two full minutes of this ridiculous quiet, I could feel my face heat up in embarrassment.

"Okay, yeah, I know it's stupid that I'm so pathetic. Just please help me out! Will you carry one of the bags? Pleeeeeeease?" I pleaded, using my best puppy-dog face. Gray blushed and looked to the side.

"Fine, just stop that stupid pouting. Grown women shouldn't pout," He mumbled and started over towards the stairs where those evil bags laid. I ran up to his side, grinning.

"Thanks, Gray!" I skipped ahead, my hair still bouncing around haphazardly. I turned around towards him again, altering my skip so it worked backwards. Gray was watching me, annoyance evident in his face. However, this was promptly replaced with urgency and concern.

"Claire, stop!"

I registered his instructions just a little too late. The ground came out from under me and I looked backwards over my shoulder, only to find that I had reached the stairs sooner than I had expected. After that, things just seemed to slow down to an unreal speed. I turned back to the Square and saw Gray racing towards me; only he didn't seem to be moving much at all. His eyes shone with nothing other than panic and terror as he ran. I glanced back at the heartless rock I was coming dangerously close to, and turned back as I closed my eyes and waited for the pain.

_Crack._

There it was. My back collided with the concrete step, and it hurt. Goddess, it hurt. It hurt like someone had just wedged a steel pipe into my spine. And then, my head flew back and onto the very same step. That time, it felt like someone swung a steel pipe at my head—and believe me, they didn't miss.

I stared up at the sky vacantly as I heard heavy footsteps come closer. They stopped before they came all the way over to me, though, and after a moment of what I assumed was hesitation, they resumed. A second or two later my view of the sky was obstructed by an old, dirty blue hat.

"…Claire?"

I blinked.

"A-are… you okay?"

I blinked again.

"Can y-you… move?"

I turned my head to face him, answering his question. I could almost see the wave of relief that flashed over him. He was kneeling down on his knees beside me, his hat casting a shadow over his entire face, which left his expression a mystery to me.

Several moments of—what I assumed was—contemplation later, Gray spoke.

"Dammit Claire," He growled through gritted teeth, clearly trying hard to not loose his temper, "What's _wrong_ with you?!"

An utterly still silence flew by, when not even a bird would flap its wing and when even the wind refused to blow. I sat up, biting my lip to keep from yelping at the pain in my back. Once I was in a sitting position, however, it didn't hurt as bad as I'd thought it would. I turned away from the blacksmith, unable to look him in the eye.

"S-sorry," I squeaked. When no reply came, I turned around and saw an outstretched calloused hand. I took it cautiously, and Gray hoisted me up in one quick motion. My spine disobediently creaked at the sudden movement, and I involuntarily yelped in pain. This caused Gray to let go of my hand like it had suddenly burst into flames. I winced as I rubbed my back.

"Oh goddess, that hurt," I whispered. I could see Gray's eyes widen.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"

"No, no," I cut him off, "it wasn't your fault, okay? It's mine, because I'm such a damn klutz."

That seemed to shut him up pretty well… for a few seconds.

"Can you walk?" He asked. I took a step forward and felt moderately sharp pains run up to my neck. After another step, I decided that I could not walk very far without crying from the pain, so I stopped.

"Not really… It hurts to put weight on my legs," I said quietly. He nodded and I fixed my gaze on the ground, wishing that I was just back at my farm. Suddenly the ground came out from under me again, but this time I wasn't falling. I was… Being lifted?

"Gray!" I shrieked, realizing he had picked me up bridal style. I threw my arms around his neck for balance. I was absolutely terrified of being lifted. Whenever anyone picked me up, they always dropped me. And at that moment, I really didn't feel like being dropped.

"Put me down!" I protested. He shook his head.

"No."

"Please?" I pleaded, but he just kept walking north.

"Nope."

"Well, why not?!" I argued, and he stopped suddenly, causing me to gasp and tighten my grip on his jacket.

"Because you said you can't walk, and you need to go to the Clinic." He explained and began walking again. I stared at my shoes in unspoken defiance for a few minutes.

"But… But what about my bags?" I tried. He sighed.

"I'll take them to your farm later."

"…What about the…" I paused to think, "The… Christmas party thing?"

"What about it?"

"Don't I have to go?"

"I don't think so."

"But the announcement on the board said that everyone must attend!"

He stopped. I looked over and saw that we were already at the Clinic. _Great._

"The only way I'll let you go is if I'm your escort," Gray said, the truth of his statement undeniably clear. He opened the door and walked inside the hospital.

"Fine then," I huffed, "Pick me up at four thirty."

He nodded curtly and left in a not-so-calm manner, leaving me rather irritated. _How dare he take me here against my will! And then he just leaves me? Ugh! The nerve!_

I turned and saw Elli grinning at me from behind her desk. She ran over to me as soon as we made eye contact and squealed, "Oh my gosh Claire! Gray's your date for tonight?"

I blinked twice. "He is, isn't he?"

~*~*~*~*~

"Okay, okay! C'mon guys! Quiet!"

Elli, Ann and I all turned our attention to Popuri, who was standing on my table waving a hairbrush at us. At the Clinic, Elli and I had made plans to get Ann and come over to my place before the party, and we ran into Popuri on our way to my farm. My back was much better, and nothing too serious happened to it. Elli gave me an ice pack and some pain medicine, so I was good as new. Sort of.

"Popuri, can you please get off my-"

"Shh!" She shushed, and I rolled my eyes in annoyance as she continued, "Okay! It's two o'clock now, so we have two hours before we need to be home where our dates can pick us up."

"But my date lives with me!" Elli and Ann protested simultaneously. I chuckled.

"My, my. That didn't come out the right, did it?"

The two flushed, causing Popuri and I two double over in laughter. Through my hilarity, I manage to ask what we needed to do before everyone had to leave.

"Well," Elli cleared her throat, slowly losing the red in her face, "We need to change, do hair and makeup, and play the traditional games,"

I looked at her quizzically, "Traditional games? Like what, 'Pin the Tail on the Reindeer'?"

Popuri shook her head, "No, nothing stupid like that!"

"For a super long time, the girls in town would get together and so would the boys. Then they'd play random games in their separate groups," Ann explained, "My favorite's Question Bag!"

"What the hell is a Question Bag?" I asked, folding my legs so I was sitting Indian-style on my couch.

"Oh, it's so fun!" Popuri chimed.

"Yes, I think that one's my favorite too," Elli smiled. I sighed, irritated.

"Okay, but _what is it_?!" I asked again. Ann mimicked my position and leaned back on the couch.

"Well, all you need is a few pieces of paper, a pencil, and a bag of some sort. You pass around the papers, and everyone will write down any question they want on their paper and drop it in the bag. After that, you take turns pulling out a question and answering it honestly. If you pull out a question you've already answered, then someone gets to ask you a replacement question out loud. It's really, really fun—especially if someone keeps pulling out the same question."

The three girls watched me intently for my reaction. I raised an eyebrow, "Um, sounds cool, I guess. I suppose you just have to try it to see how truly awesome it is?"

"Yeah! Okay, Popuri, get a pencil! Elli, get papers! I'll get a bag!" Ann ordered. My guests flew around my house in a cloud, and before I could blink, they all had the supplies sitting on the table and were scribbling down their questions. I hesitantly grabbed a piece of paper and a pencil.

_What should I ask…?_

I tapped the eraser on my chin thoughtfully. It wasn't long until I saw both Ann and Elli slip their papers into my empty rucksack, and Popuri followed suit immediately. I sighed exasperatedly and scribbled down the first thing I could think of.

_Has Mineral Town ever had a snowless winter?_

I dropped the paper in with the others and Ann shuffled them up. We were sitting in a sort of circle: Ann and I were on the couch, and Elli and Popuri were on the floor on the other side of the table.

"Who goes first?" Ann asked, scanning over the three of us. Popuri's hand shot up.

"Me, me!" She begged, and Ann smiled.

"Okay, go ahead. Remember, we're answering honestly," she smirked, "Since we go clockwise, Elli'll be next."

Popuri smiled and reached her hand into the bag. She pulled out a card and read it aloud, "'What was the weirdest dream you've ever had?'" She stopped, obviously searching her mind, "Well, once I dreamt that Rick married Saibara and they had a baby that turned out to be a chicken."

…Silence.

"…Popuri?" Elli said, "Are you alright?"

"Of course I am! Elli, it's your turn." The disturbed, pink-headed girl chirped. Elli nodded and reached into the bag.

"Oh! I got mine," She blushed, "'What was your most recent daydream?' …Well, I was just thinking about dancing later tonight."

"With Doctor?" Ann teased, "You sure he didn't kiss you in your daydream, Elli?"

Elli flushed and shook her head quickly. Ann smirked and reached into the bag, "Whatever you say. It's my turn,"

"'Has Mineral Town ever had a snowless winter?' What kind of a question is that? Claire," Ann turned to me, "Mineral Town has not ever ad a snowless winter as far as I know."

"How did you know that was my question?" I glared, "What if it was Popuri's?"

"Popuri has lived here her whole life, so she would ask that. But whatever, it's your turn," She answered, motioning to the bag. I reached in and pulled out a paper.

"'Have you ever-" I stopped, my face flushing, "Ann! You can't ask _this_! It's… It's _morally_ _wrong_!"

Popuri snatched the card from my frozen hands. I could see her pink eyes widen and she handed it to Elli, who read it as well.

"Ann!" She shrieked, "You never asked stuff like _this_ before!"

"That's because I'd so know already. But since we have a new member in our little town, I figured I'd ask." Ann shrugged and laid down on the couch. I took the card from Elli and tore it down the middle.

"Ann, new question, please," I said. She rolled her eyes.

"Fine," She grabbed another piece of paper and scribbled something down on it before dropping it back into the bag and reshuffling it. I pulled out a new question and read it.

"'Have you ever been in love?'" I recited. Setting the card down, I thought hard. I tried to remember my old boyfriends, and I tried to think about how I'd even _know_ if I had.

"Well?" Ann asked, "Have you?"

"I… I dunno," I shrugged.

"Wrong answer," Ann sang teasingly, "You have to answer honestly."

"How would you know if I have or not?" I retorted. She laughed.

"I just know these things."

"Whatever," I rolled my eyes, glancing at the clock, "Oh my goddess, guys, it's almost three thirty already! We still have to get ready!"

Ann, Elli, and Popuri shot up and glanced around in panic. They ran over to their bags, which were sitting in a pile on my bed, and rummaged around for their outfits. Popuri pulled out a very princess-like light pink dress, complete with tons of lace and frills. It looked long enough to trail on the floor. Elli had a baby blue cap-sleeved dress that had a very clean shape and went to her knees. Ann had a purple button-up blouse and a navy flowy skirt that would come above her knees. I went over to my closet to get my blue graduation dress, but Ann stopped me.

"Oh no, you don't," She walked back over to her bag, "You can't wear the same dress twice in a row. Well, not in these circumstances, anyways,"

I watched her patiently as she pulled a carefully folded bundle out of her pack. She unfolded it and held it up for me to see. It was a gorgeous white dress, with a faint v-neck and no sleeves, that would come to at least my knees. It had lace around the top and intricate swirl designs embroidered all over the torso and chest in the same color as the fabric. The skirt section seemed to be a different material; it shone like silk, and that's what it probably was. The whole thing was beautiful.

"Ann," I said, still gaping at the dress in awe, "this is beautiful."

"Yep, and _you're_ wearing it."

"What?" I gasped, "No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

I sighed, "Why? Why don't you wear it?"

"I can't wear it, even if I wanted to. It's too small." She replied. I shook my head.

"But what if I ruin it?"

"Then you'll owe me."

I stared at the amazing dress again. "It looks like a wedding dress,"

"It is!" She grinned. I gaped at her in disbelief.

"Why do you have a wedding dress? …Oh goddess, Ann, was this your mom's?"

"Nah, mom's is no where to be found. Dad bought this one for me when we went to the city last year. It was on clearance." She tossed it to me. I caught it and looked it over again, noticing that the embroidered section sparkled slightly.

"…Are you sure?"

The redhead nodded. I smiled and ambushed her with a hug. "Oh, thank you, Ann! You rock!"

She pushed me off of her, "Goddess, Claire," she said, "I thought you were through with your Huge Hugs of Death."

I smiled and began to change into Ann's dress. "Hey, Ann, don't you think it's a little weird to wear a wedding dress on a date?"

I looked over and saw Ann wrestling her way into her blouse, her head engulfed in the violet mass. "Well, the dress is actually light blue, but you can hardly tell in this light. Maybe it's more noticeable outside."

"In the dark?" I raised an eyebrow. I shrugged to myself and stepped into the dress. Elli had just finished pulling Popuri's hair up into a very regal bun, and I noticed a sparkling white clip in the nurse's hair. I zipped up the side of the dress and turned to go look in the mirror, when I was suddenly bombarded with girls armed with beauty supplies.

"Let me do her hair!" I heard Popuri yell.

"No, I'll do it," Elli said, running a brush through my limp blonde locks. Ann had just finished putting on her skirt. I saw her undo the bottom ribbon of her braid, leaving her hair in a high ponytail. She simply tied a navy blue ribbon around the top of the ponytail and smiled.

"Fine, I'll do her makeup," I heard Popuri say.

"Woah, no, stop," I put my hands up over my face, "I don't wear makeup. You're lucky I'm even letting you guys do my hair after what happened on Valentine's Day,"

I uncovered my face to see Popuri pouting in front of me, "Not even a little sparkles on your eyelids? You can hardly even see them!"

I shook my head. "Nope. I don't like it. Sorry,"

"C'mon!"

"No,"

"Pleeeeease?"

"No!"

"B-but… Why?" Popuri sniffed. I rolled my eyes.

"Popuri, crying isn't going to work." I warned. She sighed and leaned in closer to me. "Uh, Popuri?"

"Can I just see what it looks like?" She asked. I sighed.

"Fine, I guess. But only the eye sparkles or whatever they're called."

"Yay!" The pinkhead cheered, "I'll put white, to match your dress."

_The dress is blue. Argh._

I felt Elli tugging at my scalp as Popuri brushed the glitter onto my face. It wasn't a very pleasant time for me; I'll have you know. Popuri backed away at almost the exact same moment Elli finished, and I took the opportunity to break free. I walked over to my full-length mirror and actually gasped at my reflection. My hair was pulled up in a small bun for the majority of it, except for two loose strands on either side of my face. Elli had placed a tiny tiara-like clip on my head, in front of the bun. Oh, and Popuri's glitter was actually… okay. I couldn't feel it, and it hardly did anything I could notice.

The dress fit perfectly. In fact, it fit even better than my graduation dress. The skirt section came right off my hips and fell down flawlessly to just under my knees. The torso was fitted closely enough to prove that I was, indeed, a woman. I couldn't believe it; I actually looked… Pretty.

"Hey, Ann," I said, still staring at the reflection, "Are you like some sort of warped fairy godmother or something? 'Cuz this dress is just… I feel like Cinderella or something. It's freaky."

Ann walked up and threw her arm over my shoulders, "Yup, that's me: Claire's fairy godmother. You just wait until midnight," She winked and walked off.

"Guys, we better go! It's already four ten!" Elli called. Ann grabbed a box out of her bag and tossed it to me.

"Merry Christmas, Claire!" She called as my three guests shuffled out the door.

After the door closed, I looked down at the box. It wasn't wrapped. I took the top off and pulled out a pair of silver sandals with an inch heel on them. I smiled and sat down on my couch to put them on my bare feet. They were a little bit big, but that was okay. I smiled at them and looked at the clock. It was four twenty-two. I leaned back on the pillows, exhaling contentedly. After a moment, I glanced back at my door in nervousness, and found, lo and behold, the two bags of gifts Gray promised he'd bring over.

Ugh. That's just perfect. I have those two damn bags filled with unwrapped presents that I was going to take to the party, but now it's too late. I'll have to give them out tomorrow with someone's help. Hm… maybe the Harvest Sprites. They'd be awesome. I mean, they look like little elves! Ha. But they're probably not strong enough. Wait, they have magic. What is the limit of their magic? …Does it even matter?

I was shaken out of my thoughts when I heard someone knocking on the door. I looked over at the clock and realized it was already four thirty-four. I sprung up and felt a tiny pinch of pain in my back.

_Dammit, the pain medicine's wearing off._

"Just a second!" I called and quickly took one of the pills Elli had given me. I hoped it would kick in quickly, so I wouldn't end up being… _carried_ again. I shuddered at the thought of it.

I turned towards the door, but then remembered something crucial. _Gray's present!_ I hummed urgently as I scanned over my room for the box I had already wrapped up. I had to find it; it had taken days to make…

I sighed, throwing my hands up in defeat. I ran over to the door and flung it open.

"I'm so sorry," I sighed, staring at the ground, "I had to find something,"

After a few seconds with no answer, I looked up. There was Gray, wearing his same old blue hat, but he was also wearing a dressy black suit and a tie that looked the same color as his eyes. Well, his suit could've been navy, but I couldn't tell either way. I noticed he was totally staring at me. Just… staring. I looked back down, embarrassed and blushing.

"Um, well, hi," I said. He seemed to snap out of whatever trance-like state he was in and spoke.

"Hey," He greeted, "Uh, you look great,"

I blushed and grinned, "Thanks. So do you,"

He blushed then, and hid his face with his hat. We had found ourselves in an awkward silence, and the date had only been started for five minutes. I looked up at the cloudless, orange sky and regretted not bringing some sort of sweater.

"So…" I started, "Should we get going? The sun's already starting to set."

"Sure. Let's go," He nodded, no doubt thankful to me for breaking the silence. We started down the path, side-by-side.

The air was bitter cold, but I just tried to ignore it. I didn't really want to run back to my farm to get one of my dirty old jackets. I exhaled softly and saw the small puff of white air swirl in front of me before it disappeared. I smiled faintly and looked up at the sky again. It was no doubt the most perfect night of the year to go stargazing, with its clear and crisp air. I think I can recall someone telling me that Starry Night was the shortest day of the year, which also meant the longest night, too.

"How's your back?"

I turned my head towards my companion, grinning. "It's fine. After you left, Elli gave me some pain medicine and an ice pack to bring down the swelling."

I watched him ever so slightly cringe when I mentioned the swelling. He kept his gaze fixed on the path in front of us and didn't say a word for a while. We walked in the uncomfortable silence for a minute or two before it was broken.

"Did it hurt?"

I furrowed my brow and looked at him again, but he wouldn't make eye contact. "Um, yeah, it did. Like, a lot. But it's fine now, so there's no need to worry." I smiled. He sighed, shaking his head.

"You have to be more careful. You could've really hurt yourself."

"But I didn't," I pointed out, "so I guess maybe we could just drop it, since it's over with now."

Now, I didn't mean to be rude or mean or anything, but I really didn't feel like getting lectured on being more careful by Gray. Unfortunately for me, that seemed to be the only thing he felt like talking about, so when I told him to drop it… he just stopped talking. That meant another awkward silence.

After we had entered the Square, I sighed, "Look, I'm sorry. I'll be more careful from now on. But listen, tonight is going to be torture for the both of us if we don't quit with these stupid awkward silences. Right?"

I stopped in front of the blacksmith and stared at his head expectantly. He looked up from the ground and glared at me.

"I guess,"

I raised my eyebrows, "What's with the glare? What did I do?"

He rolled his eyes and started walking again, so I hurried to catch up with him. "You didn't do anything. I just… I just had a little argument with Gramps earlier."

"About what?" I asked, happy for the conversation.

"Things," he sighed, "Just… things."

"What kind of 'things'?" I pressed, "C'mon, if you want any help, you're going to have to share a little more."

"I think I'll pass on the help, thanks," He muttered, adjusting his hat. I sighed.

"Fine then. Be that way. Work it out on your own. Just remember: not telling me just killed all possibilities of a good five minutes of conversation."

He chuckled; a noise I hadn't heard in a long while—or at least that's what it felt like. The sound of it made my face break into a wonderful smile that I couldn't have contained, even if I tried. The sky was getting darker now, with its hue more purple than orange or blue. I glanced at my wrist to check the time, and was rather disgruntled to find nothing but my bare skin.

"Hey, Gray," I said, "Do you know what time it is?"

He glanced at his watch and replied, "Five twenty, why?"

"Crap, we're late," I muttered. He looked at me like I was crazy, so I explained, "The party at the Inn or whatever started at five, and the Mayor'll have our hides for not showing up on time."

"Where'd you hear it started at five?" Gray asked.

"It's on the bulletin board. You know, that thing you read every morning for two hours." I responded. I could see his face heat up and I smirked.

"Well, we'd better hurry then," He mumbled, quickening his pace. I had to jog to keep up with him, but he didn't really seem to notice. _It's a good thing that painkiller's working, or I'd be doubled over in pain right now._

In what I figured was about two or three minutes, we made it to the Inn. I stopped my jog at the door and bent over, catching my breath. Gray glanced at me and furrowed his brow.

"What's wrong?" He asked, stepping towards the door. I stood up.

"You were like sprinting over here. I was just trying to keep up!" I panted. He chuckled again.

"Well, well, well, it looks like someone needs to get in better shape." He teased.

"It looks like someone should try running in heels." I shot back. He rolled his eyes and opened the door, stepping to the side so I could go in first. I smiled and walked inside.

_Well, it appears that Gray is quite the gentleman._

I gasped softly at the décor of the Inn. There were strings of white lights hanging all over the ceiling, acting as the lighting for the party. Not only were there red and green streamers and dozens of balloons tied in bunches, but also traditional decorations like stockings hanging from the front of the bar and a huge, magnificent tree against the far right wall. There were golden garlands hanging from the rafters, sparkling in the lights. There were boughs of holly decking the walls. There were tiny potted Poinsettias at each of the tables, and a few along the bar. Wreaths adorned the doors, and decorative ribbons were wrapped around any vertical surface. The air smelled like pine needles and warm cookies mixed with crisp winter air.

The only thing missing was a fire in a fireplace. The only thing, that is, until I glanced over at a table near the tree and saw a rather large television turned on with a video of a yuletide log burning. I couldn't help it; I laughed out loud in sheer delight.

"This is incredible," I whispered between laughs. Ann soon appeared in front of Gray and me with Cliff close behind.

"Claire!" She smiled and hugged me, "What took you two so long? You're a half-hour late!"

"We had to walk all the way from my farm," I said simply, shrugging. I glanced over and saw Gray and Cliff having some sort of conversation, but I didn't try to join in—or even listen, for that matter—because it probably wasn't all that interesting.

"Oh, okay," Ann said, capturing my attention, "Well, we'll leave you two alone. Come on, Cliff,"

Gray and I watched helplessly as Ann dragged poor Cliff away and into the crowd. "Poor Cliff," I muttered.

"Yeah," Gray nodded, "an evening alone with Ann basically sounds like hell."

I laughed, and then decided to stick up for the owner of my dress, "Well, you gotta give her _some_ credit. She's really funny, and comes through when you need her most," I put my finger up to my chin, thinking, "In fact, if it weren't for her, I wouldn't be wearing this." I motioned at my outfit.

Gray and I started aimlessly walking through the crowd. "How so?" Gray asked, curious.

"I had Ann, Elli, and Popuri over earlier, and they said something about traditional question games, so," I stopped, gathering my thoughts, "Well, in short, Ann is loaning me her wedding dress and Popuri smeared glitter on my face."

"O… Okay?" Gray nodded slowly, and then motioned towards my dress, "So that's Ann's… wedding dress?" I nodded.

"Her dad bought it for her. She's letting me borrow it. I think it's a little… I dunno, too over the top," I shrugged.

"No, it looks perfect," he assured. I blushed, and after the hat-clad blacksmith registered his comment, so did he.

"Thanks," I grinned, studying the floor. Gray didn't say anything. We stopped walking, since we'd already reached the bar on the other side of the Inn. I looked down the bar and saw Saibara sitting down, staring at the countertop alone. I nudged Gray's side with my elbow and pointed at his grandfather.

"Look," I said, "we should go say 'hi'. He looks awfully sad…"

Gray grunted, "Naw, he always looks like that. Besides, it wouldn't be smart to go over there. He'll bite your head off,"

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," I muttered to myself, "I'm going over. What's Christmas without family? It's awful to be alone. Trust me, I know."

With that, I turned towards the balding old man. I took one step before I felt a hand on my shoulder and stopped. I turned back around to face Gray, who was staring me straight in the eye.

"I don't know why," he paused, "but you just made me feel damn guilty. Let's go,"

I smiled and we walked over to Gray's grandpa, who didn't notice either of us until I sat down on the stool next to him and cleared my throat.

"Hey, Saibara," I smiled. He looked over at me.

"Hello Claire," He grunted. I made sure my smile didn't waver.

"What're you doing over here?" I asked, desperately hoping that coming over to the old man wasn't a mistake.

"Sitting. Staring. Nothing of much interest."

"Oh," I said. I looked over at Gray, who was standing behind Saibara, for assistance. He just shrugged pitifully. I decided to continue speaking, "Well, Gray and I thought maybe you'd like some company, so we came over."

Saibara turned to me again, this time searching my face warily for something, "Gray?"

I noticed said boy grimace at the floor. "I'm right here, Gramps," He muttered. Saibara turned around.

"Oh, so you decided I was good enough to spend Christmas with, after all?" He asked, mocking surprise, "Or was it your special lady friend who convinced you?"

_'Special lady friend'? …Creepy._

"Claire thought you might be lonely, so I came over with her." Gray mumbled darkly. Saibara turned towards me again.

"That was very considerate of you, miss. Thank you. You can go ahead and have a good time with your date—although I'm not sure how much fun you can have with _that_ boy—and I'll find something else to do. It's no problem." He grinned. I returned the gesture.

"Alright, if you're okay," I said, and he nodded, "I suppose we'll see you later, then."

I waved and turned to walk back down the bar, but didn't go very far before realizing Gray wasn't following. I spun back around and saw him and Saibara just… glaring at each other. I jogged over and grabbed Gray's hand, yanking him away from the glare-down. Once we were at a safe distance, I let him go.

"What was up with that?" I asked, motioning back towards Saibara's stool.

"Nothing," He fibbed. I could tell he was lying, and it irked me. It irked me badly. I stood up straight and tried to get as close to his eye level as possible, and then I glared at him.

"Dammit Gray, stop lying or I might get seriously angry," I growled. He widened his eyes just barely and looked utterly taken aback.

"Uh," He stopped. He looked like he was debating something, like whether or not he should try to argue with me. _I wish he'd just tell me the truth. What's so hard about that?_

"Well?" I prompted, eyeing him expectantly. He sighed angrily.

"That fight Gramps and I had earlier was about tonight, or more specifically, _you_," He explained heatedly, "he wanted me to spend the night with him, and I didn't. He got mad, so did I, then I left to go get you. There, I told you, are you happy?" He snapped.

I looked down at my feet, ashamed. _It was my fault? Saibara was alone on Christmas because I didn't want to be? Gray and Saibara are fighting because of… me?_

I blinked and felt a cold, stray tear fall to the hardwood floor. I didn't want to cry. I didn't feel like crying. I willed the tears to stop, but somehow, one other made its way down my face. I looked up and turned my face away from Gray, feeling his eyes waiting on me in expectation. I made a quit move to brush the lone tear off my face, but apparently I wasn't stealthy enough.

"Are you… crying?" Gray asked, almost sounding afraid. I closed my eyes and shook my head.

"N-no," I lied feebly, and after a moment's hesitation clarified, "Well, yes, but I don't want to!"

"Um, sorry," he said awkwardly, adjusting his hat, "I, uh, didn't mean to sound so harsh."

I stared down at the ground, unable to think of anything to say. I sniffed quietly, which probably made Gray think I was crying again or something, since he started shifting in his spot uncomfortably. I turned up to him, annoyed.

"Will you stop?" I asked. He looked at me, confused.

"Stop what?"

"Stop dancing around in your spot like that," I explained, a little less calmly than I would have preferred, "Okay, wait. Is the only thing we're going to do bicker? Let's go…" I glanced around the room briefly to find something interesting. There was food, alcohol, and making small talk with villagers you hardly knew. The mayor sure knew how to decorate, but he couldn't throw a good party to save his life.

"Um, what time is it?" I asked Gray, unable to find a clock on any of the walls.

"About nine," he said, glancing at his wrist. I was about to suggest going somewhere else, when the mayor's annoyingly loud voice was heard booming through the building.

"Alright, is everyone having fun?" He yelled. There was no response. "Well, it's nine o'clock, which signifies the beginning of the stargazing! Everyone, please report to Mother's Hill to watch the stars!"

I watched the large crowd of people migrate towards the Inn's doors. I had to shuffle around a little bit to keep from being run over, and somehow I ended up in the center of all this chaos. I was being pushed towards the door. _Great, now I'll never be able to find Gray._

I rolled my eyes and started pushing my way outside and over away from the majority of the people. After I'd gotten to a safe distance, I searched through the crowd for that old blue cap.

_Nope, nope, nope… Where is he?_

I sighed exasperatedly and leaned back on the fence post. All my attempts to find him were futile. I closed my eyes and exhaled, just wishing someone could accompany me.

"Gray? Where are you?" I found myself calling. I opened my eyes and, being caught off guard, shrieked. There, standing right in front of me, was Gray. I put my hand on my heaving chest and gasped for my breath.

"I'm right here," he smirked, "So, are we going to follow the rest of the village up to the summit?"

"It seems like there should be a limit of like ten people up there at a time or something. It's probably noisy and dangerous up there," I sighed, "I suppose you want to go, huh?"

Contrary to my original thought, he shook his head, "Naw, I'd rather be back in the middle of that crowd than up there."

I smiled, "What should we do then?"

"I dunno. Wanna… walk around town aimlessly until someone realizes we aren't with the rest of the villagers?" He suggested. I nodded.

"Sounds good,"

We turned down the path and started going west, toward the vineyard. Everything was deserted, and I couldn't help but notice there weren't any lights up on anything. I looked around, a little saddened at the lack of cheer. The town looked so dead at night. Turning my attention to a bare tree, I remembered that it still hadn't snowed. It hadn't snowed the whole season.

"Hey," I said, getting my date's attention, "why do you think it hasn't snowed yet?"

He furrowed his brow and looked up at the sky, "I'm not sure. I can't recall a Mineral Town winter without snow, though,"

"I guess I'm just snow-repellant then, huh?" I joked somewhat glumly. After a second, I daringly asked, "Can I tell you a secret?"

He looked down at me for a second, "Um, sure,"

"Okay," I smiled, "I've never been in falling snow."

"Seriously?" He asked, amusement flickering in his beautiful blue eyes.

"Yeah," I nodded, "and I thought that if I moved here, I'd definitely see some. I guess I was wrong,"

"Well, winter's not over yet," He said, his gaze still fixed ahead of him, "Maybe it'll snow before spring."

"Yeah, and maybe Kai'll propose to Mary." I snorted. Gray chuckled at my little remark, and I couldn't help but smile.

We continued walking in an easy silence for I don't know how long, until we ended up back at the Inn. We had to have been walking for a while to loop all around town. Without really thinking, I opened the front door and shuffled in, Gray following closely. Much to my surprise, most of the village was already back here. I stopped Elli as she walked by me.

"Claire, there you are! I was looking for you at Mother's Hill," she smiled, her brown eyes squinting shut.

"Gray and I just kind of… skipped that part of the evening, I guess," I explained, "but can you tell me what everyone's doing back here?"

"Oh, well everyone left after ten, and I suppose they didn't want to go home, so they came back here."

"What time is it now?" I asked, confused. It couldn't be that late, could it?

Elli looked at her watch, "It's almost eleven twenty. Goodness, I hope Stu went home already," I nodded and said goodbye. Turning back to Gray, I noticed he looked a little anxious.

"What's up?" I asked. He looked down at the ground.

"Nothing," he grunted. I was about to yell at him for lying again, but he grabbed my hand and started to yank me through the crowd.

"Hey! Where are we going?!" I asked him. Either he didn't hear me, or he ignored me, because I didn't get an answer. We went up the stairs and I saw that the spare guest room's door was opened. He pulled me into it and through to the far wall, where there was a balcony looking out over the vineyard next door.

"Wait, when did that get there?" I asked as we went outside. He shrugged, but I knew he knew. I glared at him.

"Look," he pointed upwards. I followed his finger up to the dark sky and gasped quietly.

Millions and millions of white and yellow and purple dots swirled and smudged the black sky. A few of them twinkled and the rest of them sparkled, like my eye makeup. There was no moon out that night, and the frozen air made the spots crisper than I could've imagined.

I shivered, suddenly noticing how appallingly cold it was. Gray had to have noticed, because he put his jacket in front of my face. I looked over at him and saw that he was tinted a little pinker than usual. I blushed and put the large coat on my shoulders.

"Thanks," I smiled. He shrugged.

"No problem."

I leaned back against the wall of the Inn, mimicking Gray's position. I stared back up at the sky, grinning. The whole area was totally silent for a long, peaceful while before I noticed Gray check his watch.

"It's eleven fifty-nine," he declared, "Maybe we should go inside."

I nodded reluctantly and turned around, towards the closed door that led back into the Inn. I chanced one last glance up at the sky, and ended up staring at a green plant tied up in a red ribbon directly above Gray and me.

"Mistletoe?" I whispered to myself, watching it quizzically.

"What?" Gray asked, and he followed my gaze up to the Christmastime emblem. It took me a few moments to remember exactly what was supposed to happen when two people were caught under the plant, and once I did, I swear my face flushed unnaturally red. I shifted my gaze to the blacksmith, whose face was identical to mine in color.

_What do I do?!_

I got onto my tiptoes and quickly pecked him on the lips, moving off some sort of weird instinct. I felt my face heat up even more as I shrunk back down to my normal height.

_Please don't be awkward, please don't be awkward, please don't be awkward—wait, what's going on?_

I don't know how, or when, but at _some_ point Gray had bent down and kissed me—again. My stomach was doing somersaults and my mind turned to dysfunctional mush. I closed my eyes and rested my arms on his shoulders, trying desperately to burn this moment into my memory. Just at that moment, I felt something cold and went land on my cheek. I looked up at the sky, ending the kiss.

_What was that?_

I saw small, featherlike orbs float down from the sky at a soft pace. For a moment, I didn't know what was going on. Then it hit me: _snow_. I smiled up at the sky as the white flakes descended down, a few getting stuck in my hair. Purely elated, I pecked the bewildered blacksmith on his lips once again.

"My birthday wish came true," I whispered. His stupid old UMA hat was unable to block my view of his face from this close, and I saw him grin down at me.

"So did mine."

* * *

_**THE END**_

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**...Ta-da? Heh... That took me all day to write... And now all that's left is a pleasant little epilogue :3  
**

**Review, and tell me what you thought! Oh, and kudos to those who found the refrence to the greatest crack pairing ever: KaixMary. XD**


	12. Epilogue

**Epilogue! I've actually finished something! DO YOU KNOW HOW UNBELIEVABLY ECSTATIC I AM?! ...No, I don't think you do. Oh, and I have a request for anyone who wants to write it: Can someone write a GrayxClaire oneshot, featuring a heated argument between the two of them? I just love it when they argue! It makes me squeal XD If you write it, I will be forever grateful. I will love you. LOVE. ...XD  
**

**Review replies! I told you I'd do them this time. And I think that this is the most reviews I've gotten for one chapter, lol.**

_**SierralaineWalsh:** It is, isn't it? lol. Here's the epilogue!_

_**mandapanda84:** Aw, thanks! I don't think it's the BEST story, and I'm pretty sure you don't either (if you've read some of the others out there, that is. lol), but thanks! XD Epilogue time!_

_**xo-emma-ox:** :D You made me, like, crack up when I read your review. I emailed it to my friend because I was talking to her when I read it, and she thought it was awesome, too. LAYTAH~ XD_

_**Jean Cooper:** Yes, Kairy is my fave crack pairing, thanks to MEMF. I was totally full on caffiene at midnight when I wrote that last chapter, so I think that might help to explain why there's so much fluff. I personally love fluff. All the sappy, cheesy, cliche stuff... Yep, that's what I love. Thank you! And I'm sure you'll finish something soon, don't worry, lol_

_**AiOkami:** Yay! Thanks for reviewing and reading~ Unfortunately, you can't find out what happened to Mary in the epilogue. I know what you're probably thinking: "What? But the epilogue is the VERY END. When will we find out?" ...You'll see in the bottom Author's Note. __

_**kittykyo5467:** Thanks! You're so sweet! Unfortunately, I have to stop it somewhere, and this is it. Well, technically the ending of the epilogue is it, but... Yeah, whatever. I'm confusing myself. XD Enjoy!_

_**I SOO LOVE COOKIES!:** Update'd. Haha! Of course you may have one of my cookies. I can tell by your pen name, you SOO LOVE COOKIES, am I right? *Hands cookie* Merry Christmas! I was going to post the epilogue up on Christmas. I had that part planned since August, XD_

_**HmGirly:** You know what? Jjljflsjfnsps;lkj sljf;;so skjf. So ha. XD I squealed when I read your review! Thank you so much! Unfortunately, I had more dificulties with the epilogue's ending... But I hope it turned out bearable. I'm not so sure about fifteen kids, but... Wait, nevermind. Just go read the epilogue. And just so you know, I'm going right after I finish typing these review replies to draw a picture of Claire, Gray, and fiteen children wearing tiny UMA hats. :D_

_**Nikokikai321:** Yay, I made your day X3 I'm so excited! I finished it! I always feel sad when a fanfic ends, too, but then I find another and I feel better XD Thank you so much for reviewing! You rock! :D_

_**BeautifulAuthor:** D: I know, it's over, but that doesn't need to be bad, right? Because now I can start another one of my fics... _ Thanks for following the story! You're awesome! :D_

_**starbear264300:** Thank you! I tried to make it cute, and I'm glad it worked! :D_

_**TalesxSymphonia:** Thanks! The epilogue is HERE! :D_

**Wow. It seems as though, like, everyone was sad that the story's over. I'm sorry! ...I may have something-- no, wait, I can't tell you now. Just read the epilogue. _**

**I want to thank you all so much! Yay! I'm a little sad, too, but I'm more excited. And the fact it's like 11:58pm on Christmas Eve isn't helping with that, either. XD**

**Oh! Oh! MERRY CHRISTMAS! :D  
**

**Now... Just... READ IT! It's short, but it has PLENTY of info packed in there, so I guess that's good.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harvest Moon or any of its characters.**

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**Winter 12th**

I exhaled deeply, attempting to soothe my raging nerves. My stomach was all in a knot and I couldn't stop tugging on my pinky finger. I glanced around anxiously as Elli tried to pull my hair up into a bun.

"Goodness, Claire, hold still," she pleaded, putting her hand on the top of my head, "I'm almost done."

"Maybe I should just wear it down," I suggested, standing up from my stool in the front of the Clinic's mirror.

"But you said you wanted it up," Elli sighed. I smiled weakly.

"Sorry."

She shrugged and walked over to her desk, picking up a white rhinestone clip and fastening part of my hair back with it. She glanced behind her and smiled.

"Popuri! It's time for makeup!" She called, and the pinkheaded girl shot in from around one of the blue dividers. She was wearing a cerulean silk sleeveless dress than came down to the middle of her thigh. It was identical to the one Elli was wearing.

"Okay, Claire, let's try and do this without any fuss," She beamed, coming at my face, and armed with a small makeup brush.

I grimaced as she applied a light amount of blush to my cheeks, and some shade of eyeshadow to my eyelids. She rolled a light colored lipstick over my lips and stepped back, studying her work.

"Perfect!" She announced, putting the lid on the lipstick. I inhaled shakily; trying desperately to ward off the sudden feeling of nausea I was experiencing. Ann came down the Clinic's stairs, clad exactly like the other two girls, carrying a somewhat large box. She made her way over as quickly as she could in her silver high-heels and set the container on Elli's desk.

"Here, Claire," she grinned, "check it out."

I lifted the lid off the box, but was unable to search for its contents. Elli, Ann, and Popuri had all reached into the cardboard package and pulled out various small objects. Ann grabbed my wrist and slid on a worn-looking metal bangle.

"Something old," she shrugged. Elli tucked a white Lily into my hair and smiled so widely, her eyes had shut.

"Something new," she explained. Popuri handed me a pair of pearl-stud earrings, which I secured in their rightful spots.

"Something borrowed," she started, "My mom wanted you to wear those. She lends them to all the girls at some point,"

Then Ann set a small box in my hand, which I promptly opened. I saw a lovely light blue pearl necklace and smiled down at it admiringly. I secured it around my neck and pulled my hair out from under it.

"Something blue?" I asked them, and they all nodded cheerfully. I laughed lightly, "Thank you so much, guys. I don't know what I'd do without you."

We all hugged and I took another calming breath. Elli grabbed a long, white veil from the nearby counter and motioned for me to turn around. I did, and she began fastening it to the barrette in my hair.

"Are you excited?" Elli asked breathlessly, straightening the veil and making sure it fell down perfectly to the floor and covered my bare back.

I hadn't wanted such a revealing dress, what with the fact it was literally freezing outside, but Ann had talked me into a sleeveless gown with a crisscrossed back that showed plenty of my pale skin. It puffed out a little in the skirt and went all the way to the floor. It was pure white—not cream or eggshell or something—and it had clear beading done in very random small patches every here and there.

"Yes," I breathed, "but I'm really, really nervous,"

"That's okay. I was nervous before Doctor—I mean Tim," she blushed, "and my wedding, too,"

"I can understand that, Elli," I sighed, "you two had only been dating a season before he proposed to you over the summer. But _we've_ been going out for a year now. Shouldn't I feel, I don't know, less nauseous about this?"

Ann laughed, stepping over to me, "Chill Claire," she advised, "you're just a little jittery because you're about to pledge your life to someone for all eternity. It'll probably be the most important and difficult promise you'll ever make."

"Thanks, Ann, for pointing that out," I rolled my eyes, "hey, what time is it?"

Popuri looked up at the Clinic's clock up on the wall above the door, "It's…" she squinted her eyes, "Um, hold on,"

"Goddess, Popuri," Ann rolled her eyes, "it's two fifty, Claire. There's still ten more minutes before the ceremony starts. Relax."

I nodded and smiled tensely before walking over to the window in the front of the building. I had high heels on, but luckily some of the other women in the village had taught me how to walk in them, because I definitely didn't plan on falling flat on my face at my own wedding. I peered out the clear window, smiling approvingly at the soft snow falling outside. It wasn't dark out, however; somehow there were hardly any clouds in the sky.

I exhaled yet again, leaving a foggy patch on the glass. Ann came up from behind me and held out my bouquet. It was just a collection of blue violets mixed in with a few wonderful white roses, with a pale blue ribbon wrapped tightly around the stems. I took it and thanked her. The rest of the bridesmaids all had one white rose to hold onto, with a blue ribbon tied in a bow on its thorny stem.

"Okay, girls," she turned around and clapped her hands, "it's time to head to the church!"

I smiled at Ann. She was the perfect choice for my Maid of Honor, and I knew it. She may not be the best at fixing you hair or doing your makeup, but she was always there for you, no matter what kinds of pranks she'd pull. Elli pushed open the doors and we all shuffled out into the beautiful, cold winter day. I inhaled, allowing the air to expand my lungs. I exhaled and swore that some of my nerves had left in the white cloud of swishing breath I created.

We hurried down the path towards the church, being careful to avoid slipping on any ice along the way. In front of those two huge wooden doors, I suddenly felt all my stress and more flood back into my gut. Just that very second, I heard the wedding march begin to boom out of the old organ from inside. The doors opened up and I turned frantically to protest to Ann, but she was already walking inside with the others.

_Crap!_

I shut my eyes tightly and pursed my lips together, willing myself to move forward.

Come on, Claire. Just move. Take one step, then another, then another; just like you practiced. It's too late to turn back, anyways.

I opened my eyes and swallowed hard, inching forward. I watched the floor as my heels hit the red carpet, which was sprinkled in white rose petals by May, that led up the center aisle. I heard a rather loud rustling noise and looked up, suddenly aware that the entire town was packed into the small church and that they had all just turned to look at me walk up to the alter. My legs almost gave out right then and there, but I managed to stay strong.

I turned my attention up at my destination: the alter. At that exact moment, all the tension and uneasiness left me, and I felt more secure than ever before. I smiled blissfully as I made my way up to a blue hat-clad, black suit-wearing, normally ill-tempered blacksmith, who was watching me with pride and adoration. I finally reached him and held onto his outstretched hand, stepping up right by his side.

Carter smiled gently at both of us and opened up his book, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman together in holy matrimony,"

I squeezed Gray's hand, just to make sure he was still with me here. He pressed my hand back, and I smiled, unable to do much else at that moment. He leaned into me just a tiny bit.

"You okay?" He whispered, "You're shaking a little,"

"I'm just wonderful," I whispered back, smiling and looking up at him out of the corner of my eye.

He grinned, and I could feel my face heat up a degree or two.

"Do you, Gray Smith, take Claire Carthrage to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and health, as long as you both shall live?" Carter asked, his eyes looking up from his paper to Gray.

"I do," he nodded firmly. Carter then turned to me.

"Do you, Claire Carthrage, take Gray Smith to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do!" I said breathlessly. Carter nodded and turned to Stu. He was standing beside Cliff, Gray's best Man, holding a small pillow with Gray and my wedding rings on it. After a moment, Cliff nudged him, and he remembered it was his turn to come up. I smiled down at Elli's little brother, taking the silver band off the cushion and sliding it onto Gray's left hand. He took my hand and did the same. I gazed down fondly at the beautiful small diamond, set on a thin ring of white gold. Carter then looked up at the crowd.

"If anyone has reason these two should not be wed, let them speak now, or forever hold their peace."

I held my breath. There was such complete and total silence inside the building, I nearly fainted when someone coughed. Carter smiled and turned his attention back to Gray and me.

"Then I now pronounce you man and wife," he then faced Gray, "You may kiss your bride."

I turned to my new husband and looked up at him joyously. He turned to me and grinned larger than I'd ever seen before. He bent down to close the large height gap between us and kissed me tenderly, for quite a few seconds. I closed my eyes and heard the villagers all break out into applause, and I even heard a few quiet sniffles from one of the front pews. We broke apart and started back down the aisle, our arms hooked together.

The rest of the church showered us in grains of rice. I was caught completely off guard when the little hard pellets rained down. _I thought they only did this outside the church!_

"This wasn't in the rehearsal," Gray muttered, shielding his face with his free hand, rather annoyed, as the food bounced off his hat.

"Yeah," I giggled, quickening our pace, "let's just hurry!"

**Winter Seventh, One Year Later**

"Dammit Gray! _Why_?! Why did you do this to me?!" I screamed, the immense pain overwhelming me, "I thought you _loved _me!"

"I-I do!" He assured, eyes wide. Poor Gray; I was making him feel stressed with all my yelling.

I cried out in agony, clenching my grip on my husband's hand tighter. He flinched, and if I weren't preoccupied, I would've marveled at the fact I'd been able to hurt him so effortlessly. However, I was busy delivering a baby. That baby… It was supposed to be tiny, wasn't it? It didn't _feel_ tiny, I'll have you know, when I was trying to _get it out_.

"Almost there!" Elli piped up, sweating slightly. I managed a little, tiny, ghost of a smile at that comforting news.

_Almost there. Come on Claire, you're almost there!_

Elli was so sweet. She'd come all the way from the Clinic in less than five minutes, and at four in the morning, too. She really was my best friend. No, Ann was. No… Elli was. Actually, they both were.

I gasped for air, turning my head to Gray. He was sitting there, in such a state of panic, he couldn't move. Poor, poor man; being subjected to my violent tendencies through the whole seven hours I was in labor. I was probably scaring him half to death with either my awful screaming in pain or my awful screaming in anger. If there was one thing he'd remember if-slash-when we had another child, it was that he should wait in the kitchen while I was giving birth.

"Ah!" Elli exclaimed in delight, "I see a head!"

I shut my eyes and exhaled. Those seven hours were the worst moments of my life, I had decided. That is, until I heard the soon-to-be-familiar sound of a baby's loud wails. I looked up and saw Elli walking over to me, a large grin plastered on her tired face.

"Congratulations, you two," she handed me a small, warm, pink bundle, "it's a girl!"

I looked down at the blankets, one tiny arm moving its way out into the open. I uncovered the little face and beamed. This little baby was what caused all that fuss? I couldn't believe it. She was too sweet; too… perfect. She only had a tiny wisp of coppery brown hair atop her head, and her tiny button nose wrinkled slightly when I touched her cheek. Her tiny little eyelids fluttered open, revealing soft blue eyes.

"She has your eyes," Gray and I whispered to each other at the exact same moment, not taking our eyes off the small angelic package. I laughed lightly, reluctantly handing the baby over to her father. He scooped her up hesitantly, his hands shaking slightly.

"She's so little," he commented, studying her face. After a moment, he asked, "What should we name her?"

I closed my eyes, browsing through my memory for the perfect name. I had thought about this so many times over all the years of my life, and yet nothing seemed to come to me. Suddenly, I had it. It was perfect for her, with her sweet blue eyes and light brown hair.

"How about Chelsea?" I suggested joyfully. Gray grinned down at the girl and handed her back to me again.

"Chelsea it is."

I stared down at our tiny Chelsea thoughtfully, when a lone thought entered my mind.

"Hey, Gray," I said quietly, as Chelsea had just began to fall asleep, "happy birthday!"

He smirked, "You too."

I knew that I had everything I'd ever want, right there in that very moment. I had great friends, a nice home, a loving husband, and a beautiful baby girl, all to myself. I also realized, though only as an afterthought, that I had obtained all these things through the winter season. I shrugged it off as merely a coincidence, just thankful that everything had happened the way it did. If it were any other season, things probably wouldn't have worked out at all. Too many changes in circumstance. In the end, it just made winter even more important to me.

"I love winter," I breathed, gaining a loving look of approval from the under the hat of the man next to me.

I had my husband, and I had the snow. I had my wish. I had it all, and I couldn't even begin to express my happiness.

* * *

**:D**

**Heehee! How awful was that ending? I know: HORRIBLE! :D**

**Now, one last thing before I send you all off. There's a sequel. *Gasp* Stay tuned for "Another Winter", One Winter told from Gray's POV. It'll explain important things like what happened to Mary, why Gray acted awfully OOC in a few of the chapters, and it'll explain some of the more vague conversations Claire had with Gray in this story. Don't expect it too soon, since I only work on two longfics at a time and the next one won't be "Another Winter," but it'll come soon enough.**

**Thanks to you all one last time, and don't forget to review. You can PM me, too, if you want. ...And vote in the *important* poll in my profile. :D**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS!  
**

**Bye!**


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